UNIT 18, CASUARINA
PRISON — FIRES
1199. Hon Dr BRAD PETTITT to the parliamentary secretary
representing the Minister for Corrective Services:
I refer to community reports of a fire
in a cell at unit 18 at the end of October 2022.
(1) On what date or dates have
fires occurred in cells at unit 18?
(2) Once the fire
or fires were extinguished, for how long were the young people involved in each
incident left in their cells before being granted medical attention?
Hon
MATTHEW SWINBOURN replied:
I thank the member for some notice
of the question. The following answer is based on information provided to me by
the Minister for Corrective Services.
(1) On 1 September 2022 and 30
October 2022.
(2) Preservation
of life is the priority in all critical and emergency incidents. All custodial
staff are trained to provide first aid. Young
people involved in the incidents when fires had been deliberately lit in their
cells were moved immediately from their cells and provided first aid
care. Medical assistance is sought immediately
upon the identification of such critical incidents. In both incidents, the time
was not more than 10 minutes before medical staff arrived to the
unit to render assistance when it was deemed safe to do so.