Marina Bay Fire Station and NPC ready in 2012
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will respond to emergency services within the Central Business District (CBD) in an even shorter time when the Marina Bay fire station is completed in early 2012.
The fire station will be co-located with the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) along the new Marina View Extension.
With the co-located complex, the SCDF aims to beat its average response time of eight minutes.
The two entities will share common facilities such as the dining hall, gym, conference room and lecture room.
Officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, Law and Second Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said the co-location of the two facilities provides a common platform for the sharing of information and resources.
It will also be a catalyst for further synergies within the Home Team.
Police said the non-residential environment at Marina Bay poses a unique challenge.
Marina Bay has a transient population, so it is important to be on good terms with building managers and security staff.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Tan Hung Hooi, Commander of the Central Police Division, said: "We can have all kinds of equipment and infrastructure, but at the of the day, when it comes to dealing with emergency scenarios, we need to work very closely with the community and I think that is key."
Meanwhile SCDF has introduced a new training programme for Trauma Paramedics.
Those selected for the programme will undergo rescue and breathing apparatus training.
These Trauma Paramedics will work hand in hand with rescuers to carry out medical intervention and emergency trauma management in complex rescue scenarios - such as providing medical care to trapped casualties in collapsed buildings.
There are currently 38 trained Trauma Paramedics in the SCDF.
Minister Shanmugam said this new capability will further enhance the quality of medical care provided to disaster victims and increase their chances of survival.
The rescue skills picked up will also enable the paramedics to play a bigger role during on-site rescue operations - such as during deployment in overseas rescue missions.
- CNA/ir -
Most prob will be STN17.......haha....another FS for 1st div......