The Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) marine division will be able to better monitor and coordinate emergency responses in Singapore's waters when its new headquarters on Pulau Brani is completed in March 2026. 

At the heart of the new four-storey building, spanning a floor area of 6,120 square metres, is an Integrated Command Centre (ICC), the SCDF said in a media factsheet on Friday (Nov 15).

The ICC will allow the SCDF to conduct real-time collaboration with various maritime stakeholders, including the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), the Singapore Police Coast Guard, and other government agencies such as the Republic of Singapore Navy.  

This will help them better deal with major maritime incidents such as rescues, fires and oil spills.

The SCDF is also trialling the Marine Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) which is capable of marine firefighting. This will allow the SCDF to optimise deployment of resources and reduce operational risks faced by firefighters at sea.

To enable this, the ICC will have a dedicated Ground Control Station equipped with advanced communications systems that integrate satellite and radio networks.

From the station, SCDF officers can remotely pilot the USV and receive live footage which will be sent to the ICC and firefighting vessels deployed at sea. 

Other unmanned technology used by the SCDF include the remotely operated underwater vehicle and the unmanned aerial vehicle.

The ICC will also be equipped with data visualisation tools to provide commanders with a real-time overview of ongoing incidents.

The heightened situational awareness will help improve SCDF's ability to manage complex operations involving multiple parties and resources.

The ICC will also be used for operational briefings and table-top exercises to improve inter-agency coordination. 

Speaking at the ground-breaking ceremony on Friday, Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said that the SCDF's marine division "must continue to expand and develop its capabilities" to prepare for the future of marine firefighting." 

He added: "In the years ahead, we can expect our maritime sector to only get busier. A new mega port is being built in Tuas, which will almost double our handling capacity when fully completed in 2040.

"This means we can expect more ships to pass through our waters, with a wider diversity of sizes and cargos. So, the demands and responsibilities of the SCDF's marine division will increase in time." 

Since taking over marine firefighting and rescue functions from the MPA in 2012, the SCDF marine division has evolved and grown to meet the growing complexity of maritime incidents in Singapore's busy shipping lanes. 

Starting with two vessels in 2012, the marine division now has six vessels, including the Red Sailfish, a heavy fire vessel with the world's most powerful water output for marine firefighting vessels at 240,000 litres of seawater a minute. There are plans to grow the fleet to ten vessels by 2029. 

In addition to the fleet expansion, the SCDF marine division also has plans to increase its number of marine bases from the current four — in Brani, Loyang, West Coast and Gul — to six by 2035.

One of the new base will be in the Punggol planning area. The location for the second new base is being worked out.  

"The new marine division headquarters, along with more deployment bases and vessels that will be built in the near future, will further bolster our coverage and allow us to manage multiple incidents simultaneously," said SCDF's marine division commander, Assistant Commissioner Ryan Ong.

These ensure that the SCDF "remains ready to respond effectively to emergencies at sea. 

editor@asiaone.com

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