Drones debut in counter-terrorism drill


SOURCE: THESTANDARD.COM.HK
DEC 07, 2021

Drones and unmanned vehicles were used for the first time in a counter-terrorism exercise by the police and MTR Corp at Tsing Yi MTR Station in the early hours of Saturday.

The drill, carried out by 230 people, simulated a scenario where a social media post called upon members of the public to launch a terrorist attack inside Tsing Yi Station.

During the exercise, frontline MTR staff have to activate the station's emergency mechanism and assist the police in accessing different parts of the station.

On top of testing the staff's ability to handle emergencies, the exercise also tested the professional sensitivity and judgment of those concerned, and enhanced the inter-departmental communication and coordination between the police and the MTR.

As the drill was conducted on the tracks and inside the compartments of a train on Tung Chung Line, the drill further enhanced participants' understanding of the track area and the compartments in a realistic environment.

It was also the first time for the police's Railway Response Team in using drones and unmanned vehicles, in order to facilitate the rapid inspections of the environment and enhance operational efficiency.

Meanwhile, 30 members of the "Project ACHIEVE," a project encouraging post-secondary students to join the force after graduation, were also invited to play different roles in the drill, hoping that they would have a better understanding of counter-terrorism work through the exercise.

Similar articles you can read