Organisation
Organisation
The predecessor of Support Force was the Administrative and Support Force, which was established in October 1999 with eight Companies, namely Human Resources Company, Communications Company, Transport Company, Stores Company, CAS Band, Sports and Welfare Company, Recruit Training Company and Service Training Company.
After the CAS reorganisation on 1 February 2004, Support Force was formally established, and the structure was reorganised on 1 January 2010 and 1 August 2018. Support Force is now composed of five Companies, some of which are based on the former Administrative and Support Force, while some have undergone major reforms and some are entirely new formations in terms of service scope and operational concepts. The purpose of Support Force is to effectively centralise, coordinate, manage, and allocate resources to meet the needs of front-line operational units, so that they can perform their tasks with full support.
Support Force is now managed by a Chief Commander, a Deputy Chief Commander and two Assistant Deputy Chief Commanders. There are five Companies under Support Force, namely CAS Band, Communications Company, Transport Company, Stores Company, and Welfare Company, each with a Company Commander as the supervisor, with 448 officers and members in total.
CAS Band was established in May 1976. In its early days, it consisted of the drum team and horn team of Cadet Corps, and later included the wind and bagpipe instruments. It has developed into a large-scale and high-quality marching band. The Silver Band entertains the audience by performing pop music or military music in the form of sitting and marching; while the Pipe Band mainly uses traditional Scottish music, sometimes combined with highland dance performances. The band currently has an establishment of 93 officers and members.
Some of the leaders and members of the Band are instrumental instructors, who can provide professional training for teammates, which greatly improves the standard of the Band.
CAS Band not only performed in internal ceremonies and many large-scale events in Hong Kong to support the celebration, they also used music as a medium of communication to encourage the morale of the Service and enhance their cohesion. In addition to playing melodious music, the Band’s officers and members also devote themselves to serve the community. Same as members in other units, they are responsible for performing various community services and emergency operations, including crowd management, hiking trail patrols and fighting wildfires, and assisting in clearing road obstacles after wind disasters, as well as participating in the management of quarantine centres, with a view to implement the CAS mission to serve the society.
CAS Band produced music performance CDs in 1996, 2006 and 2016 respectively to celebrate the 20th, 30th and 40th anniversary of the Band’s establishment as a form of commemoration.
The Communications Company is a new unit established after the CAS reorganisation in October 1999. The backbone members at that time were the Communications Teams of the Regional Headquarters and members with communications expertise. The Company gathered the communications resources previously allocated to various regions and operational units, providing one-stop communication services for CAS, including storage and basic maintenance of communication equipment, and provide assistance and advice on the procurement of new equipment and the development of communication systems.
Communications Company is committed to training communications specialists, assisting in updating the communication equipment and systems of CAS, and has established a set of procedures so that other Units can borrow communication equipment in a simple manner. The specialists of Communications Company will be on duty at the CAS Command Centre or be deployed with the mobile command vehicle. They also provide communication services in various training and activities depending on the operational needs, tendering advice to relevant units to help them establishes the best communication network. The Company also deploy experienced trainers to assist in the training classes at the Headquarters, training a number of qualified communications personnel and coaches. After the reorganisation on 1 August 2018, it has 83 officers and members.
Whenever the Command Centre is activated, the Communications Company must deploy duty members to provide logistical support to CAS personnel performing emergency operations.
In 2010, Communications Company assisted the Service in updating the radio telephone signals of various units. In 2015, the Company also assisted the Service in the digitalisation of radio communications, and promoted the full use of digital radio communications by CAS personnel.
The Transport Company was established after the CAS reorganization in October 1999. The purpose is to centrally coordinate the transportation resources and needs of various regions. By maintaining close contact with the CAS Headquarters and making appropriate deployments, it provides each Unit with efficient transportation services. After the reorganisation on 1 January 2010, it has an establishment of 99 officers and members.
Transport Company launched a "one-stop service" in 2000, allowing units who request vehicle and driver services during training, operations or activities to fill in the form and the Company will handle the follow-up duties.
The Company established the "Central Driver Unit" in 2001 to recruit qualified members from other Units to perform the driving duties when Transport Company is fully occupied with other driving duties. In addition to providing transportation services, the Company also places great emphasis on driver training and is committed to improving their driving skills and safety awareness.
Whenever the Command Centre is activated, the Transport Company must deploy duty members to provide logistical support to CAS personnel performing emergency operations. On Sundays and public holidays, the Company is required to perform motorcycle country park patrols throughout the year.
In the Daya Bay Contingency Plan, the Transport Company is responsible for deploying motorcycle couriers to collect radiation monitoring data samples to assist the Hong Kong Observatory in assessing environmental radiation and the consequences and impact of the accident.
The Stores Company took over the work of its predecessor Equipment Unit and was established in October 1999. Its daily duties include providing stores, uniforms and equipment for other CAS Units that are suitable for their duty, activity and training needs, so that members can complete the tasks effectively.
In various activities, operations and exercises, and even emergency operations, members of Stores Company are the first to report and after other members are dismissed, they still have to check and collect, and clean up the equipment. During the SARS Operation (2003), the South Asian Tsunami Disaster Operation (2004) and Human Swine Influenza Operation (2009), the Company completed the preparation for the Service in a very short period of time, demonstrating their high efficiency and professionalism.
On 1 August 2018, Stores Company was composed of 83 officers and members. Through a series of training, new members quickly familiarize themselves with the operation of the Company, so as to provide quality and efficient services. In addition to performing their own special duties, the Company members, like other Company members, must also participate in the services and activities, such as patrolling the countryside, fighting wildfires, and performing crowd management. Whenever the Command Centre is activated, the Stores Company must deploy duty members on duty to provide logistical support to CAS personnel performing emergency operations.
As part of the Service, Stores Company strives to maintain high-quality storage, maintenance and records of operational equipment. Therefore, on 1 April 2014, the Civil Aid Service Stores Company Equipment Maintenance Team was formally established, providing regular inspection and effective management and maintenance of the equipment. In 2017, the Stores Company focused more on the management of equipment, optimising and enhancing communication with various departments, so that the Service can operate more efficiently in operations and equipment deployment.
Starting in May 2019, Stores Company has also assisted in the management of the Dangerous Goods Store of CAS to manage the inventory.
In addition to participating in training, operations and services, CAS has always been concerned about the welfare of its members. Welfare Company was established after the restructuring in 2001. Its predecessor was the Sports and Welfare Unit of the Administrative and Support Company and the Welfare Unit of the Administration Force. After the reorganisation on 1 August 2018, it has 83 officers and members.
Welfare Company has a wide range of tasks, including arranging meals, setting up camps to provide temporary resting places, providing clean uniforms for replacement, assisting in cleaning and disinfection, receiving visiting guests, and visiting CAS personnel who are injured or ill due to work. To meet the operational needs, the Company has set up operations rooms, stores and food processing workshops to provide meals and dry food for CAS members participating in training and emergency operations. Therefore, members of the Company can be seen in various training occasions and large-scale event venues, adhering to its mission to provide high-quality and convenient welfare services so that all Companies can serve the public with the highest efficiency.
Whenever the Command Centre is activated, Welfare Company will deploy duty members to provide logistical support to CAS personnel who perform emergency operations.
