GBA joint emergency response and rescue exercise “Liancheng-2025” successfully concludes (with photos)
The Hong Kong Fire Services Department (FSD), the Fire and Rescue Corps of Guangdong Province, and the Macao Fire Services Bureau held a 48-hour Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) joint emergency response and rescue exercise, “Liancheng-2025”, in Hong Kong from March 25 to today (March 27). The exercise aimed to gauge the effectiveness of the emergency mobilisation and co-ordination mechanism under the GBA Emergency Response and Rescue Operational Plan.
The exercise simulated Hong Kong experiencing extreme weather conditions, including a super typhoon and torrential rain, leading to severe incidents such as building collapses, large-scale landslides, extensive flooding and paralysed transport systems in various districts. Due to the strain on local rescue resources, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government requested assistance from the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and the Macao Special Administrative Region Government, according to the mechanism under the Operational Plan.
The Fire and Rescue Corps of Guangdong Province promptly deployed 60 members, 13 fire appliances and over 900 items of rescue equipment, while the Macao Fire Services Bureau deployed 15 members, five fire appliances, and over 300 items of rescue equipment to render assistance to Hong Kong. The two teams respectively entered Hong Kong through the Shenzhen Bay Port and the Hong Kong Port of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge via the cross-boundary Green Channel to participate in the exercise.
The exercise, mainly taking place at the Fire and Ambulance Services Academy, was conducted under the joint emergency command mechanism led by the FSD to co-ordinate personnel and resources allocation. The three rescue teams jointly participated in operations such as a rescue in a flooded basement, a search and rescue operation in a collapsed structure, as well as handling mass casualty and hazardous chemical leakage situations. They also took part in a rescue operation in Lei Yue Mun, where a severe flooding scenario in the low-lying coastal area of Sam Ka Tsuen was simulated. The rescue teams worked together to build a floating bridge and assist the trapped villagers in an emergency evacuation.
The Deputy Director of Fire Services (Operations), Mr Angus Wong, who acted as the commander of the Hong Kong cross-border rescue team, stated that by simulating real disasters, the three rescue teams enhanced synergy in rescue strategy and equipment deployment, laying a solid foundation for establishing a GBA rescue network.
“Liancheng-2025”, hosted by the FSD, had participation from the fire and rescue departments of the three places, as well as the Hospital Authority and the Civil Aid Service. The exercise was funded by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust. It effectively put cross-departmental and cross-disciplinary disaster response capabilities to test, with substantial progress demonstrated in strengthening consolidated rescue efforts of the GBA in response to major disasters.
