Exercise Northstar VI
1.The first ever maritime civil emergency exercise codenamed "Exercise Northstar VI", will be held on Friday, 23 May 2008 from 1000 hrs to 1600 hrs.Organised by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF),12 agencies1including the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Star Cruises, and Singapore Cruise Centre will be involved in the exercise.About 1600 personnel from the various agencies will be involved in this exercise.
2.The MPA will be the Incident Manager for Exercise Northstar VI, which will stress test the collective capabilities of the multiple agencies involved in a large scale maritime incident.It will sharpen their operational readiness and validate their respective contingency plans and policies to mitigate incidents within Singapore waters.It will also enhance the collaboration networks within the government agencies as well as amongst these agencies' partners in the public and private sectors.
3.Exercise Northstar VI will be based on a fire and rescue scenario on
board a large cruise ship in Singapore's Eastern Anchorage, about mid-way between Marina South Pier (MSP) and Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal (TMFT),3 km from shore.To inject realism, the SuperStar Aquarius with its 13 decks of accommodation and recreational facilities for over 2800 passengers and crew members will be used for the exercise.About 1000 personnel, comprising SCDF officers and NSFs, members of the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC), students from Singapore Maritime Academy-Singapore Polytechnic, and grassroots volunteers from the People's Association, will be participating as role players to depict passengers on the ship.A further 300 role players will be participating as the family members or next-of-kins.
4.The exercise will require the ship's crew to conduct swift and effective on board firefighting and evacuation of passengers from the ship to two designated "landing points" namely MSP and TMFT.The MPA will also assist in the evacuation of passengers to the landing points, and provide seaward boundary-cooling operations support to ensure that the fire does not spread.SPF will assist in enforcing a sea cordon and regulating the flow of seaward traffic around the SuperStar Aquarius.There will also be heli-evacuation of severely-injured passengers conducted by the RSAF.Triaging of casualties and the administration of first aid and pre-hospital care will be carried out by MOH medical teams, supported by SCDF, SAF and Singapore Red Cross.
5.Off-site exercise points include the Changi General Hospital which will receive the "casualties" from the two landing points.Changi Simei Community Club has been designated as the FAC for the exercise.The FAC is managed by the SPF, with support from the MCYS Care Teams, People's Association and Grassroots Leaders and Volunteers.The centre provides the focal point for families and next-of-kins to get up-to-date information.Care Counsellors at the centre will help to calm anxious relatives and loved ones.
6.Noting the busy nature of the Singapore port, the MPA, together with SCDF and other agencies, have been working with the shipping community, cruise ship operators, and ferry terminal operators to minimise disruptions and inconveniences.Some ferry-commuters may encounter delay at check-in points while others heading off-shore may need to take connecting ferries from the West Coast Pier instead of at MSP.
7.The conduct of Exercise Northstar VI is a critical component of Singapore's on-going efforts to enhance maritime safety and security within Singapore waters.While the MPA has been conducting multi-agency exercises with the industry to maintain port preparedness and readiness to respond to marine incidents, Northstar VI is a timely exercise as Singapore advances in its development as a cruise hub. The planning committee of the exercise seeks full understanding and cooperation from all ferry-commuters and members of public affected by the exercise.
Closure of Exercise Sites
8.Marina South Pier will be fully closed to the public from 1000 hrs to 1600 hrs.During this period, entry to Marina Coastal Drive will be restricted to authorized vehicles.All affected public buses serving this road will be diverted.Police officers will be stationed at affected road junctions to assist and direct motorists.The public is advised to comply with the directions of the officers on duty.
9.LTA and Police will put up EMAS and traffic advisory signages on the road closures on the peripheral roads leading to Marina Coastal Drive.Parking restrictions along the peripheral roads will be strictly enforced and vehicles that are found parking indiscriminately and/or causing obstruction will be towed away.The public will be able to access Marina South Pier after 1600 hrs.
10.Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal will be partially closed. The public will still be able to use Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal throughout the exercise.
Jointly issued by SCDF and the MPA.
Footnote:
1 Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Maritime and Port Authority (MPA), Ministry of Community, Youth and Sports (MCYS), Ministry of Health (MOH), Ministry of Transport (MOT), People's Association (PA), Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Singapore Police Force (SPF), Star Cruises, and Singapore Cruise Centre.
2 Under international maritime regulations (Safety of Life at Sea Convention), all sea-going vessels are required to be equipped, and its crew trained to manage shipboard fires at sea.In case of a prolonged fire, MPA's role is to assist the shipboard fire-fighting efforts via boundary cooling or waterside firefighting and evacuation of passengers.
End of release.