The Emergency Response and Exercise Division (ERE) is responsible for facilitating Centre for Health Protection (CHP) in emergency preparedness and management of public health crisis. Working closely with other services of the Department of Health (DH) and relevant government departments and organisations, ERE assists Emergency Response and Programme Management Branch in testing the preparedness of the government and stakeholders to cope with possible major outbreaks of infectious diseases in Hong Kong, and refining DH’s contingency plans for communicable diseases. As part of emergency preparedness, ERE plans and coordinates exercises and drills regularly, covering various situations and public health incidents, to ensure that all relevant parties are familiar with the established standard operating procedures, and are capable of discharging their duties and responsibilities in times of major public health emergencies.