The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) conducted a ferry emergency exercise (FEREX) at the Regional Ferry Terminal (RFT) at Harbourfront, to trial the competency of about 250 personnel from 10 government agencies, three ferry operators and Singapore Cruise Centre Pte Ltd in response to ferry mishaps.
Specifically, the exercise included the simulated evacuation of 150 passengers onboard a regional ferry, while also for the first time they also conducted a medical evacuation. The scenario was based on a ferry accident that took place near Kusu Island, while the ferry was enroute from Batam to Singapore.
The test began with the collision of the ferry with a large underwater object, which led to the flooding of the vessel. After that, two passengers panicked and jumped into the sea, so the search and rescue operation began.
In the meantime, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and MPA transmitted the remaining passengers from life rafts onto t
heir vessels, which included SCDF’s Heavy Rescue Vessel. Alsom a Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) AS332 Super Puma helicopter evacuated passengers who were critically injured from SCDF’s Heavy Rescue Vessel.
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Moreover, MPA Singapore used technologies to boost the situational awareness and contingency responses, such as the use of remotely piloted water rescue lifebuoys which could be steered directly towards passengers in the water, as well as ‘live’ streaming of the incident site through camera-mounted drones, CCTVs installed on board the ferry, and SMART glasses worn by the On Scene Commander.
In light of this event, the Director of Operations and Marine Services at MPA, Captain Daknashamoorthy Ganasen commented
It is important to conduct a ferry emergency exercise annually to test the coordination and operational readiness of our agencies. We have had the opportunity to deploy and test new technologies at FEREX 2019 to enhance rescue efforts.
Except the exercise, on August 30 MPA Singapore conducted a real search and rescue operation off Horsburgh Lighthouse, when two people with lifejackets were seen in the area’s waters.
Fortunately, speaking at the fourth International Safety@Sea Conference held on August 29, Dr Lam Pin Min, Senior Minister of State for Transport and Health, thanked the maritime community ‘for the good work in improving maritime safety’ highlighting that the number of major incidents in the Port of Singapore has decreased over the last 10 years.
