More Measures to Ensure Firefighters Are Equipped and Trained to Protect Themselves and Their Team

49 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent passing of an SCDF officer after fighting a ship fire, whether additional measures will be taken to ensure that firefighters are adequately equipped and trained to protect themselves and their team during firefighting.

Mr K Shanmugam: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has robust frameworks and processes in place to ensure the safety of its officers during firefighting operations.

All SCDF officers are required to undergo regular medical screening to ensure that they are fit for deployment as firefighters. Only those who are certified to be medically fit and are of Physical Employment Status "A", "B1" or "B2" will be deployed because of the physically demanding nature of the job.

All firefighters are required to undergo firefighting training as part of their foundational course at the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) before they can be deployed. The firefighting training includes both theoretical and practical components, covering competencies, such as incident management, firemanship, rescue and the use of equipment. All firefighting training at CDA is conducted with "live" fire simulators to provide realism, so that trainees can experience operating in conditions similar to real fires. The training curriculum is reviewed regularly to ensure continued currency and to enhance effectiveness.

Following graduation from the foundation course, those who are selected as marine firefighters will go through further training to equip them with the additional skillsets needed, for example, ship firefighting and search and rescue operations at sea. The specialised training covers knowledge in ship construction and design. Marine firefighters are also required to pass the Marine Firefighting Specialist Certification Test comprising swimming, water rescue, water survival, ship intervention and marine knowledge theory test.

While they are deployed at the frontlines, SCDF officers continue to undergo regular exercises and drills as well as annual proficiency and certification tests, such as the Individual Physical Proficiency Test, Breathing Apparatus Proficiency Test and other vocational certification tests. This is to ensure that their skills and fitness are at the required standards.

There are clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place with which all firefighters need to comply during firefighting operations. These SOPs are benchmarked against international standards and best practices and incorporate safety considerations. For example, during firefighting operations, SCDF officers are to work together in teams, and officers’ movements in and out of the scene of fire are tracked at a Staging Point that is set up near the entry point to the scene of the fire.

SCDF also ensures that its officers are properly equipped. The full set of firefighting Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) comprises a bunker gear, helmet with torchlight, firefighting gloves, a flash hood, firefighting boots and a complete set of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus with face mask. The officers are required to check that their PPEs are in working order at the start of every duty and before they are deployed for firefighting operations.

Following the tragic incident, SCDF convened an Internal Review Group to examine the operations from the viewpoint of firefighting strategy, safety procedures, training and equipping. In particular, SCDF will, henceforth, include an Emergency Medical Services crew as part of the firefighting team that will proceed to the vessel on fire, so as to be able to attend more expeditiously to any medical emergency that may arise during the operation.