8 | Treatment of people in detention 8.1 General security There are 430 cameras throughout YHIDC, and body-worn cameras are present in all compounds. Each camera is checked every 12 hours to ensure they are operational, and broken cameras are reportedly attended to within 24 hours. Serco told the Commission that they can generally get approval for additional cameras whenever a need is identified. Footage obtained is kept for a period of 28 days and, in the event of an incident, footage is uploaded to ‘evidence. com’. During the inspection, the Commission witnessed the security footage for the general population and the high security areas. Cameras appear to have extensive coverage and were all in working order when inspected. There are no cameras inside bedrooms, except in the HCA. In those rooms, there is a privacy screen for the shower and toileting. During the inspection, the Commission met with the Emergency Response Team (ERT). Whilst the centre has 25 ERT officers in total, centre coverage comprised of six officers per shift - two located in the high security areas. ERT are responsible for supervising and responding to any incidents that occur within the compounds. They are also increasingly involved in status resolution interviews or other meetings that may escalate, as a safety measure to fellow staff. This poses a considerable drain on ERT’s time within the compounds and has meant that there were not enough ERT staff for centre coverage. The Commission was advised by Serco and ABF that some interview rooms were being equipped with a safety partition to lessen the need for ERT to be present and provide greater safety to the status resolution staff. the Commission observed the installation of these partitions taking place during the inspection. Serco also advised that there were plans to increase the number of ERT staff to eight officers per shift, with further recruitment ongoing. There was consensus among all staffing groups spoken to that the ERT presence was good for staff morale and contributed to a sense of safety. In relation to training, the ERT team advised that they lacked breathing apparatus (BA) training, which would allow them to enter smoke-filled environments in the event of fire. As it stands, the centre is dependent on local fire and emergency services. Due to its regional location, local fire and emergency services are staffed by volunteers. The volunteer fire service does not enter a compound unless it is cleared of all people. If a compound was full of smoke, centre staff would be unable to safely enter to clear anyone who had not left the compound. Yongah Hill Immigration Detention Centre Inspection Report • 2024 • 51