CAS Conducts Exercise to Enhance Emergency Response for Extreme Weather and Rescue Operations

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities

The Civil Aid Service (CAS) today (June7) organised an exercise codenamed "Gemini" at Wan Tuk Creek on Lantau Island and the Penny's Bay Community Isolation Facility, mobilising more than 300 members. The aim is to strengthen the units' emergency response, mobilisation, communication and co-ordination capabilities in situations of extreme weather, emergency rescue or infectious disease incidents, and further improve its command and control as well as operational efficiency when handling incidents.

The exercise simulated a super typhoon affecting HongKong, with CAS officers and members from operational, administrative and support units ordered to assist rescue operations. Scenarios included typhoon and flood rescues, clearing fallen trees, transporting casualties, and infection control measures for sudden infectious disease incidents. These simulations test and evaluate the units' efficiency and effectiveness in command and control, rescue techniques, communications, handling casualties and logistical support.

In addition to simulating accidents that may occur during a typhoon, the exercise also featured multiple scenarios, such as mountain rescues, emergency rescues, rescuing residents trapped by flooding, fallen trees blocking roads and handling casualties, triage cases and evacuating disaster victims. During the exercise, CAS rescue teams swiftly set up casualty collection stations and utilised rescue technologies such as drones and robotic dogs, and for the first time, used an electric outboard inflatable rubber boat and self-contained breathing apparatus, ensuring rescue operations could be conducted effectively and quickly.

The CAS hopes that by simulating different disaster situations, it can effectively assess members' rescue skill levels and their adaptability to conduct emergency tasks. In 2025, the CAS was deployed 28 times due to typhoon and extreme weather, an increase over the nine deployments in 2024. In 2025, there were 1 366 participants, more than the 725 participants in 2024.

The CAS will continue to strengthen preparedness for extreme weather, emergency rescue and infectious disease incidents, aiming to safeguard the lives and property of citizens.

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

CAS conducts exercise to enhance response to extreme weather and rescue capabilities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases

Food Safety Day 2026 highlights importance of hand hygiene for safeguarding food safety and public health

The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department kicked off its Food Safety Day 2026 promotional campaign today (June 7). With "handwashing" as the core theme, a series of thematic short videos, social media posts, and posters, will be launched to highlight the importance of maintaining hand hygiene in preventing foodborne diseases, and to echo World Food Safety Day of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and the World Health Organization.

Maintaining proper hand hygiene remains one of the most effective measures for preventing foodborne diseases and safeguarding food safety. Unclean hands of food handlers may transfer harmful microorganisms, including foodborne pathogens and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria, from bacterial carriers or raw food to utensils, surfaces and ready-to-eat food.

A spokesman for the CFS said, "Food handlers should wash their hands thoroughly with liquid soap and water, as alcohol hand sanitisers work less effectively at removing grease, dirt and certain foodborne microorganisms. When washing hands, the rubbing process should last for at least 20 seconds. To prevent the spread of preventable infectious diseases, handwashing should be carried out before and after handling food, before putting on gloves and after removing them."

The spokesman also reminded food handlers to wash their hands whenever possibly contaminated, such as after touching the face, coughing, sneezing, using the toilet, smoking, and handling money, waste, mobile phones, chemicals or raw food ingredients, as well as after completing cleaning tasks.

Members of the public are also reminded that wearing gloves cannot replace proper handwashing. Food handlers and the public should maintain good personal hygiene practices and adopt appropriate hygiene measures when preparing food, thereby reducing the risk of foodborne diseases and curbing the emergence of antimicrobial resistance.

For more information about Food Safety Day 2026, please visit the CFS website at www.cfs.gov.hk/english/whatsnew/whatsnew_act/Food_Safety_Day_2026.html.

Photo source: he CFS website