Corrections Officers get safety and training boost

Queensland Corrections Minister Mark Ryan today released dramatic footage of an Emergency Response Group dealing with a riot in a Queensland Correctional Centre.

While the unfolding drama is an exercise it provides a rare glimpse of the high-level training Corrections officers undergo to deal with emergencies.

Queensland’s Correctional facilities house more than eight thousand prisoners who  are the state’s most challenging and complex individuals to deal with.

Minister Ryan said the Emergency Response Group was a specially trained and equipped group of officers who respond to critical incidents in prisons to restore safety and security.

“The ERG team receives regular firearms, de-escalation and restraint training as well as tactical and strategy preparations and specialist personal training sessions,” Minister Ryan said.

“They are provided with a range of protective and tactical equipment to allow them to respond to prisoner violence and unrest, including chemical agents,” Minister Ryan said.

When not responding to critical incidents, ERG tasks include providing security escorts, conducting random cell searches and searching for contraband, often in partnership with the QCS dog squad or intelligence branch.

Corrections officers receive load bearing vests

The first 1350 load bearing vests are being rolled out to front line custodial officers at Queensland’s prisons this week.

All front line officers will have personally assigned load bearing vests by the end of the year in an effort to boost officer safety at Queensland’s 11 high security facilities, Minister for Corrective Services Mark Ryan said today.

“The vests will enable officers to wear body worn cameras – a technology shown to improve officer safety in custodial environments.

“The roll out of vests is a significant step in improving officer safety in what can be a very challenging and dynamic environment,” Minister Ryan said.

Townsville Correctional Centre General Manager Peter hall said that officer safety was a top priority for Queensland Corrective Services.

“Our officers do a wonderful job to make Queensland safer for everyone, and they deserve to have a safe working environment, with the appropriate equipment, training and technologies to make sure they can go home uninjured to their loved ones at the end of their shift, GM Hall said.

“I am very pleased to have been able to work with the union to provide all our frontline officers with load bearing vests by the end of the year, as they and body worn cameras are known to reduce injury and keep officers safer on the job.

“The effectiveness of the vests and cameras will be evaluated by the full Use of Force Review which is looking at every aspect of training, policy, equipment and technology to ensure our officers have every support available to them to keep safe while they undertake their vital public service,” Peter Hall said.

The Together Union’s Michael Thomas welcomed the new vests.

“Having these vests issued as part of their personal equipment is something our members have been calling for some time and is very welcome.

“Correctional Officers do a tough job and deserve to be properly equipped to do it,” Mr Thomas said.

Media contacts 

Queensland Corrective Services:                                                  Ph: (07) 38980841