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Concorde Hotel S’pore recognised for its robust measures to boost security

SINGAPORE — In Concorde Hotel Singapore situated in the heart of the Orchard Road shopping belt, there is a room filled with security, crisis and medical equipment that will help with the hotel’s first response during an emergency.

SINGAPORE — In Concorde Hotel Singapore situated in the heart of the Orchard Road shopping belt, there is a room filled with security, crisis and medical equipment that will help with the hotel’s first response during an emergency.

Monthly drills and two exercises conducted annually are meant to prepare the 407-room hotel (formerly the site of Le Meridien hotel) to tackle emergency situations before the authorities arrive.

The crisis room set up in 2012 includes equipment such as the automated external defibrillator, tactical vests, helmets and gloves.

Concorde Hotel Singapore’s general manager Karl Muir said that the hotel has invested S$200,000 in this safety and security measure, which includes equipment, training and infrastructure. It also expanded its security checkpoint to set up a security central command centre.

Explaining the reason behind the set-up, he said that the hotel is in the people industry and there is a “duty of care” to employees and customers. He added that although Singapore is a safe place, hotels are becoming “soft targets” for terrorism.

Yesterday, Concorde Hotel Singapore was one of the 43 recipients of the Outstanding Individual Award from the National Safety and Security Watch Group (NSSWG), recognised for its active implementation of robust measures to enhance safety and security. A total of 169 NSSWG members received various awards this year.

At Concorde Hotel Singapore, its emergency response team undergoes monthly drills ranging from bomb threat mitigation and firefighting. The team also goes through advance external training conducted by the Singapore Civil Defence Force and police, such as lessons on counterterrorism measures. Twice a year, the hotel conducts joint exercises with national security forces in the Home Team.

All new employees have to undergo a compulsory basic security orientation programme followed by a specific safety and security programme. They are also taught procedures such as how to operate the portable fire extinguishers and how to raise an alarm.

Senior Minister of State for Home Affairs Desmond Lee, speaking at the award ceremony, said that the terrorist threat facing Singapore is “at its highest ever”, and people in crowded and public places are vulnerable to such attacks. The business community can play a part by being prepared for an attack in and around the workplace, he added.

He revealed that two clusters on Orchard Road have been sharing information among its members through a WhatsApp chat group.

The Orchard cluster includes Ngee Ann City, Ion Orchard, Grand Hyatt Hotel, Marriott Hotel, Cathay Cineleisure and Mount Elizabeth Hospital, while the Somerset cluster includes Concorde Hotel, 313@Somerset, Centrepoint and Plaza Singapura.

The chat group, started in May 2015, comprises mainly of retail malls, hotels and service apartments. It allows them to share crime-related information issued by the Orchard Neighbourhood Police Centre and crime prevention practices. Members may also get updates and reports from one another.

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