Singapore Government Press Release

Media Division, Ministry of Information and The Arts,

36th Storey, PSA Building, 460 Alexandra Road, Singapore 119963.

Tel: 3757794/5

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 Speech By Mr Wong Kan Seng, Minister For Home Affairs At The Official Ground Breaking Ceremony For The New HQ SCDF Complex At Ubi Avenue 4 On Monday, 8 Feb 1999 At 10 am

Good morning, officers, ladies and gentlemen,

I am pleased to be here with you this morning to break ground for the new HQ SCDF Complex and, in the process, mark the beginning of a new chapter in the history of civil defence in Singapore.

Singapore’s civil defence had very rudimentary beginnings. In the not too distant past we had men who manned the air raid sirens during the Second World War; then there were the vigilante corps who patrolled the neighbourhoods, and the volunteers who fought the Bukit Ho Swee Fire in the ‘60s. They had few facilities and equipment, and hardly any organisation. They operated by improvisation and sheer effort. The Second World War era civil defence did not even have a headquarters. The officers put up a make-shift control room at the ground floor of the Supreme Court Building and co-ordinated civil defence activities from there.

By the time SCDF rescuers worked day and night to rescue those trapped under the collapsed Hotel New World, they already had a base at the current Bendemeer Road site. Comprising a few single-storey buildings and container offices, the site was vacated by the vigilante corps in the early 80s. Spartan though they were, those old buildings and containers have seen SCDF through much improvement in civil defence awareness and preparedness, especially in the last fifteen or so years. The SCDF has never, however, had a purpose-built headquarters.

Today we are at a new beginning. SCDF’s new headquarters, which will be built here, will not only be the Force’s nerve-centre, but a key operational base. The new HQ will have enhanced capability in command, control, communications and intelligence. The complex will house SCDF HQ, the Fire Safety Bureau, the Civil Defence Shelter Bureau, logistics bases, and the new Geylang Fire Station. Bringing these facilities under one complex reaps substantial economies and synergies.

The SCDF has taken many initiatives to enhance its ability to handle emergencies and disasters over the years. The new HQ SCDF complex that will rise at this location will serve as a focal point from where these initiatives are coordinated and enhanced. I am confident that the new SCDF HQ will serve Singaporeans and the SCDF well for many, many years to come.