SCDF

The Force has an on-going programme with several Asia-Pacific and European countries to exchange views and experiences on emergency preparedness and disaster management. It has United Nations Disaster Assistance and Coordination (UNDAC) - trained officers on stand-by for deployment under the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) to disaster- hit countries for disaster assessment and coordination. Its UNDAC members has participated in international rescue missions in countries like Indonesia, Pakistan, Philippines, Myanmar and Papua New Guinea. It is also one of the founding members of the Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Programme (APHP) under UNOCHA to support UNDAC teams and it has officers who are APHP members on stand-by for deployments. As part of SCDF’s effort for Global Humanitarian Outreach, SCDF has obtained the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) External Classification of its Operation LionHeart Contingent as a Heavy Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team, being the first in Asia to attain this classification.

Its Civil Defence Academy (CDA) has assisted in providing training to rescue / firefighting outfits to countries such as Australia, Bhutan, Brunei, Cape Verde, China, Cyprus, Ghana, India, Malta, Malaysia, Qatar and UAE. It has also established collaborations with regional organisations such as the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) which is done in conjunction with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), the Asian Disaster Reduction Centre (ADRC) and the Asian Network of Major Cities 21 (ANMC 21) to conduct courses for other countries at the CDA. Besides collaborations in conducting courses, SCDF maintains an active role in regional organisations such as the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM), as well as the sectoral forums of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) and Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Active participation in these forums allow SCDF to make valuable contributions to the international civil defence community through the sharing and learning of best practices.