Singapore Civil Defence Force

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The Singapore Civil Defence Force (abbreviation: SCDF; Simplified Chinese: 新加坡民防部队; Malay language: Pasukan Pertahanan Awam Singapura) is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency.

A uniformed organisation under the purview of the Ministry of Home Affairs (Singapore), the SCDF provides ambulance, fire fighting and emergency response services to the Republic of Singapore. It also plays a major role in the Republic's disaster relief operations.

Organisation Structure Formally, the SCDF is branched into 6 Operational and Training Divisions beneath the Headquarters Element. Of these six, four are known as Operational Divisions, also known as Territorial Divisions, and each cover vast sections of Singapore corresponding roughly to the four cardinal points of the compass. Each of the divisions possess their own bunkered and mobile Command Centres, Hazmat response capabilities, as well as full internal administration structures.

The training facilities, whilst they do not cover any territory or have any primarily operational concerns, are recognised as divisions unto themselves, with full administration, supply and support units.

Headquarters The Headquarters complex of SCDF contains the Command Centre for all operations nationwide. It is co-located with the DART (Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team) Base, Central Supply Base and Paya Lebar Fire Station in a secure compound off Ubi Avenue.In addition to command and control, logistics, and operational facilities, HQ SCDF is also made up of an administration structure consisting of numerous staff departments. These staff departments, listed below, coordinate and carry out the administration of various key aspects of the Force, under the command of the Commissioners and Department Directors.

Operations Department
Services and Support Unit
Planning Department
Medical Department
Training Department
Service Quality Department
Technology Department
Logistics Department
Public Affairs Department
Manpower Department
National Service Personnel Department
Fire Safety and Shelter Department
HazMat Department (Formerly HazMat Branch in Operations Department)

Operational Divisions

The 1st Division oversees operations in the general south of Singapore, stretching from Clementi, Singapore to the Central Business District (CBD). It is also in charge of Jurong Island, an important oil refining centre. The division headquarters is located at Queensway, behind Alexandra Hospital, together with the Queenstown Police Centre and Alexandra Fire Station.

The 2nd Division oversees operations in the east of Singapore, including Paya Lebar, where the HQ complex is located, as well as Singapore Changi Airport. The headquarters are located in Tampines, co-located with the Tampines Fire Station.

The 3rd Division covers the northern segment of Singapore, and is headquartered at Yishun together with Yishun Fire Station.

The 4th Division oversees operations in the west of Singapore, and is headquartered at Bukit Batok, together with Bukit Batok Fire Station.

Training Divisions

The Basic Rescue Training Centre (BRTC) trains primarily enlistees, with a new battalion of 3-4 companies passing out every quarter with competency in basic rescue skills as well as an adequate level of fitness. The BRTC complex also houses the Special Rescue Battalion and the Detention Barracks. BRTC is not to be confused with the Civil Defence Academy.

The Civil Defence Academy (CDA) conducts training courses on various vocations and specializations, ranging from firefighters and medics to physical training instructors (PTIs) and officers. Although primarily to prepare recruits freshly graduated from BRTC for operational duty, CDA also frequently has guest trainees from outside SCDF, including fire brigades and emergency crews from other nations.

Both the BRTC and CDA complexes are located in Choa Chu Kang, along Jalan Bahar Road.

Appliances The Singapore Civil Defence Force maintains a large fleet of custom vehicles, called appliances, to provide an emergency response force capable of mitigating any and all kinds of fires and disasters. Ranging from the generic fire truck and ambulance to more sophisticated mobile command structures and disaster mitigation vehicles of all kinds, many of the appliances were designed and commissioned by the Force itself rather than obtaining ready-made designs from industries. This is directed towards improving the Force's response capability towards an increasingly large variety of emergency scenarios and threats, in addition to basic firefighting and paramedical services.This list of appliances is not exhaustive, and are grouped according to application, and in the order of scale of response capability.

Paramedical Response Vehicles

Fast Response Paramedic (FRP)

Essentially a paramedic on a heavy motorcycle with a small array of portable first aid equipment and tools, the FRP is meant to provide the most rapid form of emergency medical response. This is especially when there are traffic jams on the roads leading to an incident site which would delay a conventional ambulance.

Ambulance

Often referred to as the "Alpha", the red and white ambulance forms the backbone of Singapore's medical emergency response capability, and is the most widely-deployed appliance. Each ambulance is staffed by an ambulance driver, a paramedic, and a medical orderly.

SWIFT (Station With Immediate First-aid Treatment)

The SWIFT is a "Transformer" vehicle, and functions as a mobile hospital. On the roads, it takes the form of a vehicle roughly the size of a small bus, and expands on both sides when it reaches the incident site. When fully deployed, it is capable of treating a large number of patients concurrently on operating tables that slide out beneath its "wings".
This vehicle is seldom used other than for mass-casualty events requiring on-site treatment capability.

Firefighting Appliances

Fire Bike

A firefighter on a motorbike, equipped with an impulse water canon. The fire bikes are often deployed as rapid-response units or scouts to minor incidences, such as small fires. They are often backed up by a Red Rhino, mentioned below.

Light Fire Attack Vehicle (LFAV "Red Rhino")

Known affectionately as the "Red Rhino", the LFAV is an all-terrain vehicle with a small pump and monitor turret capable of seating 4-5 responders. It is seen around the country parked near to Fire Posts, and is designed to traverse off roads to aid in firefighting of dense built-up areas without road access, which conventional Pumper-Ladders may not be able to reach.

Rapid Mitigation Vehicle (RMV)

A variation of the original LFAV Red Rhino, the Rapid Mitigation Vehicle uses a long-range water mist monitor instead of a standard water monitor to save water and more effectively combat fire.

Pump-Ladder (PL)

The pumper ladder is otherwise known as the generic Fire Engine. It is one of the mainstays of SCDF's firefighting capability, and is the vehicle most often seen at the scene of a fire.

Combined Platform-Ladder (CPL)

Pictured near the top of this article, the CPL is basically a PL with a hydraulic ladder-platform which can be raised high enough for height rescue and firefighting, such as with a high-rise apartment fire.

Hazmat Appliances

HazMat Enforcement Bikes

Since 2006, the SCDF has implemented a nationwide monitoring system for vehicles carrying Hazardous Materials, such as fuel, in which their position is tracked from SCDF and Police HQ. When a certain vehicle carrying, for example, high explosives, approaches a zone to which it is out of bounds, such as the downtown Central Business District, an alarm will trigger and SCDF will disable the vehicle as well as dispatch enforcement bikes quickly to the location to deal with the errant vehicle.
The enforcement bikes are ridden by Provost officers, and may be backed up by the police, to mitigate the threat posed by such a vehicle by securing it and moving it away from the area.

Hazmat decontamination Pod

The hazmat decon pod sucks in contaminated air and purifies it at a high rate in order to remove atmospheric toxic material and render an area to be more hospitable to work in following a CBR incident.

Personnel Decontamination Vehicle (PDV)

The size of a large bus, the PDV is one of the largest operational appliances that the SCDF has, and is the mode of transport and response of the Special Rescue Battalion. It is designed to cater to mass casualty incidences involving Chemical, Biological, and Radiological (CBR) substances, and is fully equipped to decontaminate, by shower, a large amount of casualties at one go, when deployed.
Outside HazMat incidences, it functions as a troop carrier for the SRB, as well as a super-ambulance, capable of evacuating an entire busload of casualties to hospital for treatment.

Special Decontamination vehicle (SDV)

The SDV, in addition to performing the function of the Hazmat Decon Pod, also decontaminates the terrain with a large amount of water, and carries specialised equipment used by the Special Rescue Battalion.

Command Elements

Command Post (CP)

Roughly larger than an ambulance, the Command Post is deployed to incident sites (such as a building collapse) together with a rescue battalion, is where coordination of rescue and recovery efforts takes place.

Hazmat Command Vehicle (HCV)

The Hazmat Command Vehicle is essentially a Command Post specifically designed for command and control during a CBR incident. It is equipped for this task with a wide array of instruments and sensors which can, for example, monitor and help predict toxic material presence and dispersion in the wind.

Forward Command Vehicle (FCV)

The FCV is a larger version of the command post, and is deployed at the Division Level. It serves the purpose of a mobile communications and control centre and is deployed during more serious incidents requiring division-level advanced command capabilities.

Command Vehicle (CV)

SCDF maintains a fleet of 5 Command Vehicles, which together function as a mobile headquarters command and control centre. The vehicles are the size of a large bus, and when deployed, the body of the vehicle stretches to thrice its size on the road, allowing ample space inside the vehicle for personnel and essential computer and communications equipment.
These Command Vehicles are only deployed to a strategic location to provide forward tactical headquarters capability in a major incident or high-risk event, most recently during the IMF-World Bank conference held in Singapore in 2006.

Special Vehicles

Breathing Apparatus Tender

A vehicle carrying a large number of breathing apparatus and associated equipment is often deployed to scenarios involving fires in confined spaces, to provide for rescue operations in such an environments. An example of such a scenario that this vehicle would respond to is a basement fire.

Foam Tender

The Foam Tender is a Firefighting Appliance capable of storing and discharging large amounts of foam, in addition to water, to mitigate situations in which fuel or chemicals may pose a threat, including aircraft accidents.

Large Monitor Vehicle (LMV)

The LMV is a vehicle designed to tow the 2000GPM Patriot (Large Monitor) and 6000GPM ('Big Gun'). It is a Firefighting Appliance unique to Jurong Island Fire Station, primarily used in Oil Tank fires.

Special Rescue Tender (SRT)

The special rescue tender, used primarily by the DART unit, is equipped with specialised rescue equipment for incidents that require special tools and skills, such as high angle rescues (such as from a cable car), suicide attempts, and structural collapses. An example of equipment carried includes breathing apparatus and life detection equipment.

Heavy Rescue Tender (HRT)

Like the SRT, the HRT is used primarily by the DART unit, and carries specialised equipment catering to uncommon or major incidences, such as structural collapses and underwater rescue. The special equipment is carried in mobular containers which can be interchanged to suit the operation before being deployed, and the vehicle possesses a crane as well.

History For decades since its founding by Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the United Kingdom colony of Singapore had no formal fire fighting force. Fire fighting was carried out using a cart of water and hand pump, and involved the police, sepoys, marine soldiers and even convicts.

It is not until 1869 that the colonial government took the matter seriously and set up a Fire Brigade. A number of volunteer brigades were formed, but they were a motley crew and failed dismally when put to the task, performing no better than their predecessors.

Following the establishment of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade in England in 1866 and other fire-fighting systems in United States, the City Council of Singapore finally took over the responsibility of fire protection and established the Singapore Fire Brigade in 1888. It was supplied with new fire apparatus from Europe and fire stations were built with living quarters for trained and paid fire fighters.

From 1908, horse-drawn engines were replaced by motorised versions. The same year, the Central Fire Station, Singapore along Hill Street was officially opened.

In 1917 a motor ambulance was acquired by the Hospitals Board, and was put on loan to the Fire Brigade until the Hospital Buildings were completed. When an ambulance service for accident cases was established in March 1928, it was put under the purview of the Fire Brigade.

The early 1920s saw the introduction of 'Special Services' that did not pertain to putting out a fire. Over time it came to include services such as:

using pumps to alleviate a flood
stand guard at functions where there were huge crowds
extricate accident victims
rescuing trapped or stranded people

In March 1939 an Auxiliary Fire Service was formed to increase preparedness, in anticipation of war.

The Fire Brigade continued to operate throughout the World War II despite the internment of its senior officers by the occupying Japanese forces.

After the war, The Civil Defence Ordinance was passed in 1949 and the Auxiliary Fire Service was re-established in 1952 as part of the civil defence plan. It was eventually disbanded in 1961.

May 25 1961 saw the Bukit Ho Swee Fire ravage 250 acres, killing 4 and injuring 85. It remains the most extensive fire to date.

On November 21 1972 the Robinsons Fire destroyed the famed department store, killing 9, including a pregnant woman. It caused damages estimated at S$21 million. It was this blaze that led to the first Fire Code in 1974.

From 1976, National Service in Singapore extended to the Fire Brigade.

In 1980, the name of the Singapore Fire Brigade was changed to the Singapore Fire Service (SFS).

In 1981 the Civil Defence Command was formed under the wing of the Singapore Police Force to spearhead emergency preparedness for the nation. In 1982, a new National Civil Defence Plan was launched. In 1983 the Civil Defence Command was renamed the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

1984 saw SCDF launch the emergency number "995", which has been in use to this date. (Previous numbers used include 5555, 328111 and 3378111)

In 1986, purview of the SCDF was handed over to the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the MRT Strike Force was formed to deal with emergencies in the underground tunnels of the Mass Rapid Transit (Singapore), which were then under construction.

On 15 March the same year, the Hotel New World disaster, killing 33 people. 17 were rescued. This incident saw joint operations between the SCDF and the SFS.

The SCDF and the SFS were integrated on 15 April 1989 to form the Singapore Civil Defence Force as we know it today.

In May 1990 the elite Disaster Assistance & Rescue Team (DART) unit was formed. That July, SCDF embarked on its first overseas disaster relief operation in Baguio, Philippines, following an earthquake.

In 1991 the first sirens of the island-wide Public Warning System were installed. These were first tested in 1992.

1993 saw SCDF rescuers dispatched to the scene of a collapsed 12-storey building in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

In July 1995 the Fire Investigation Section was formed. This subsequently became the Fire Investigation Branch.

In 1999 the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) in Chua Chu Kang was opened. The same year, a rescue team was dispatched to Taichung County, Taiwan, to assist in rescue operations following an earthquake.

On 15 April 2000, the Home Affairs Minister Mr Wong Kan Seng unveiled the locally designed and built Light Fire Attack Vehicles, affectionately known as 'Red Rhinos'. He also launched the Paramedic Service and commissioned 30 fire-bikes.

In 2001 the new SCDF HQ Complex was opened in Ubi, near Paya Lebar. A number of Fire Stations and Fire Posts were also opened.

In 2002 the SCDF conducted the first Open Mobilisation of its National Servicemen over broadcast media.

In 2003, to counter the threat of biological and chemical agents and/or accidents, the Special Rescue Battalion (SRB) was formed, equipped with locally designed decontamination vehicles (PDV, SDV), specialised rescue equipment, and the necessary expertise. HAZMAT training was also conducted for a new breed of SCDF personnel: the Emergency Response Specialists (ERS).

The SCDF, together with the Singapore Armed Forces, responded to the Tsunami#2004 - Indian Ocean tsunami, dispatching personnel and equipment in a massive rescue and reconstruction operation.By then, the rescue and relief operations conducted overseas came to be known as Operation Lionheart.In that year, SCDF was also involved in two major local incidents, namely the collapse of Nicoll Highway and the Fusionpolis worksite collapse.

International relief efforts were also undertaken in 2005 Assisting in the combating of forest fires in Sumatra and also in the wake of natural disasters around the globe, especially the Pakistan earthquake. Back home in the same year, a new SCDF building at Queensway was opened to house the 1st Division HQ, Queesntown Police Centre, Alexandra Fire Station, and Home Team Public Education Centre. Large-scale simulations of urban biological/chemical terrorism incidents involving mass casualties and infrastructure destruction were carried out as well to increase preparedness. SCDF also began enforcing regulation on the transportation of hazardous materials island-wide.

In the year 2006, the SCDF Basic Rescue Training Centre (BRTC) vacated its old premises, and moved into a new complex adjacent to the existing Civil Defense Academy. The Division Headquarters for the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Divisions also moved into new integrated complexes in February to accommodate an expansion of operational capabilities, a minor restructuring, as well as a massive effort at modernising the Force. Unfortunately, SCDF suffered its first casualty since 1981 when Sergeant Shaik Amran, 24 died while on duty on 20 January 2006 in a traffic accident. (CNA)

Ranks As a uniformed organisation, SCDF has a strict ranking system almost identical to that of the Police Force.SCDF ranks displayed on shoulder epaulets with the words "CIVIL DEFENCE" at the bottom.

For No. 4 Field Dress Uniform, the epaulets are the same shade of dark blue as the rest of the uniform, with white markings.
For No. 3 Formal Dress Uniform, the epaulets are black in colour with gold markings.

These ranks feature the following Charge (heraldry):

Chevrons

a V-shaped marking

Curved Bar

a U-shaped marking

Pips

Four-sided starbursts with the crescent and stars from the National Arms of Singapore at the centre

Rank version of the Coat of Arms of Singapore

The National Arms of Singapore when used as a rank insignia is rendered differently from its original depiction. The rank version of the National Arms still depicts the lion, tiger and the shield with the crescent & five stars. However, the rank version of the National Arms replaces the original water spurts with palm laurels and does away with the motto-scroll bearing "Majulah Singapura"

Commissioner's Badge

Two axes in saltire within Bay laurel

The ranks are displayed here in descending order from highest seniority at the top to lowest at the bottom.

Commissioners

Commissioner - Commissioner's Badge, topped with a pip and the National Arms, in that order

The current Commissioner is Commissioner James Tan

(DC) Deputy Commissioner - Commissioner's Badge, topped with the National Arms

The current Deputy Commissioner is DC Peter Lim

(SAC) Senior Asst. Commissioner - Commissioner's Badge, topped with two pips

The current Senior Asst. Commissioner is SAC Puniamoorthy

(AC) Asst. Commissioner - Commissioner's Badge, topped with a pip

There is no current AC. The previous AC was AC Jackson Lim

Note that for the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner, the National Arms in the rank insignia is highlighted red.

Commissioned Officers

(COL) Colonel - three National Arms
(LTC) Lieutenant-Colonel - two National Arms
(MAJ) Major - one National Arms
(CPT) Captain - three pips
(LTA) Lieutenant - two pips

Warrant Officers

(SWO) 1st Senior Warrant Officer - National Arms enclosed by a curved bar below and four inverted chevrons above
(SWO2) 2nd Senior Warrant Officer - National Arms enclosed by a curved bar below and three inverted chevrons above
(WO1) 1st Warrant Officer - National Arms enclosed by a curved bar below and two inverted chevrons above
(WO2) 2nd Warrant Officer - National Arms enclosed by a curved bar below and an inverted chevron above

Specialists

(SSG) Staff Sergeant - three chevrons topped with the National Arms
(SGT) Sergeant - three chevrons

Emergency Response Specialists and Basic Officer Course

(OCT) Senior BOC - two horizontol bars
(OCT) Junior BOC - one horizontol bar
(SCT) Senior ERS - two inverted chevrons
(SCT) Junior ERS - one inverted chevron

Non-Comissioned Officers

(CPL) Corporal - two chevrons
(LCP) Lance Corporal - one chevron
(PTE) Private - no insignia
(REC) Recruit - no insignia

Decorations Specialist Titles

HAZMAT - Hazardous Materials Specialist
DART - Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team, Member of.
PARAMEDIC - Paramedic

Such specialists are identified with an additional tab badge bearing the titles worn on the top of the sleeve.

Badges

Fire Badge
Paracounsellor Badge
Paramedic Badge
Medical Orderly Badge
Civil Defence Triangle - Awarded to personnel who participated in the Hotel New World disaster

The above badges are worn above the left breast pocket, higher up from service medals or ribbons, and typically identify personnel with major specialist training and/or experience.Gold and Silver Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) Badges that signify personnel with outstanding physical profeciency are worn on the left sleeve, beneath any Specialist Title decorations.

In popular culture Fictional television programs

Fiery Passion (烈焰焚情), 12 February 1992
On the Frontline (穿梭生死线), 2000
Life Line, 2005
Without Warning 26 October 2006
Life Line 2, 15 May 2007