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Fire Safety Manager (FSM)

 

Background

The Fire Safety Manager (FSM) Scheme aims to ensure and enhance the fire safety standard within buildings. Through the Fire Safety Manager, fire safety activities and fire prevention measures are also implemented to promote fire safety awareness among the building occupants. Engagement of a Fire Safety Manager will help owners of buildings prevent substantial monetary and life losses resulting from fires. The scheme was given wide publicity since 1989 and with the passing of the Fire Safety Act 1993 and the Fire Safety (Fire Safety Manager) Regulations 1994, it has become mandatory for owners of designated buildings to appoint Fire Safety Managers. The amended FSM regulations which was gazetted on 13 Apr 2007 aims to make further improvements to the FSM scheme. 

 

Click here to register for SCDF Civil Defence Academy FSM Course (Full-Time).

Click here to register for our Accredited Training Institutes FSM Course (Part-Time/Full-Time).

 

Appointment and Termination of Fire Safety Manager

Owners of new premises have to appoint a FSM within 90 days of obtaining a certificate of statutory completion or a temporary occupation permit. A new FSM must be appointed within 14 days if a FSM's appointment is terminated. The appointment and termination of FSM can be done via the eFSM portal.

 

e-Fire Safety Manager Portal

     

    Penalty

    Failure to appoint a FSM will result in the owner of the building / premises being fined $10,000 or sentenced to a prison term of 6 months or both. 

    Building Requiring A Fire Safety Manager & Company Emergency Response Team

    All Public or Industrial Buildings which satisfy at least one of the following conditions, are required to appoint a fire safety manager:

    1. A public building that —

    • has 9 storeys or more (including any basement);
    • has an occupant load of 1,000 persons or more; or
    • has a floor area of 5,000 square metres or more,

    excluding any building specified in paragraph 3 of the Fire Safety (Fire Certificate — Designated Buildings) Notification 2020 (G.N. No. S [000] /2020).

    2.  An industrial building that —

    • has an occupant load of 1,000 persons or more; or
    • has a floor area or site area of 5,000 square metres or more.     

    3.  A foreign employee dormitory that —

    • has an occupant load of 1,000 persons or more; or
    • has a floor area or site area of 5,000 square metres or more.

    4.  A hospital

    Building Requiring A Senior Fire Safety Manager

    All Public or Industrial Buildings which satisfy any of the following conditions are required to appoint a Senior Fire Safety Manager:

    a. that has an occupant load of 5,000 persons or more and 

    1. that is of 31 storeys or more (including any basement) in height;
    2. that has a gross floor  area of 50,000 square metres or more; or
    3. that has a basement storey with a floor area of 10,000 square meters or more; or

    b. in respect of which fire safety works are carried out according to a plan using an alternative solution the Commissioner may reasonably determine to be complex.

    Duties Of Fire Safety Manager

    General duties of fire safety manager

    • ensure at all times that fire safety requirements contained in the Emergency Response Plan are complied with;
    • supervise the maintenance of all fire safety works in the premises;
    • ensure at all times that the occupant load of any part of any building does not exceed the capacity prescribed under the Fire Code;
    • conduct daily checks within the premises and remove or cause to be removed any fire hazard that is found within the premises;
    • prepare and execute the Emergency Response Plan for the premises and distribute the Emergency Response Plan to the occupants of the premises; (ii) conduct fire drills for the occupants of the premises at least twice in every calendar year or on such occasion as may be directed by the Commissioner;
    • ensure that all occupants are familiar with the means of escape located within the premises;
    • prepare fire safety guidebooks for the occupants of the premises; train, co-ordinate and supervise the Company Emergency Response Team for the premises in first-aid, fire-fighting and evacuation in the event of fire or other related emergencies;
    • train the occupants in the premises in first aid, firefighting and evacuation in the event of fire or other related emergencies;
    • co-ordinate and supervise the occupants within the premises in firefighting and in evacuation in the event of fire or other related emergencies;
    • supervise the operation of the Fire Command Centre in the event of fire or other related emergencies;
    • conduct at least 2 Table-Top Exercises within the premises each year and to evaluate, together with the Fire Safety Committee, the effectiveness of the Arson Prevention Plan and the Emergency Response Plan for those premises;
    • prepare and implement the Arson Prevention Plan for the premises;
    • notify the Commissioner immediately upon the occurrence of any fire incident in the premises;
    • organise campaigns, training courses, competitions, contests and other activities which will develop and maintain the interest of the occupants within the premises in establishing a fire safe environment;
    • carry out such other duties as the Commissioner may require.

     

    Additional duties of fire safety manager appointed for specified complex premises

    •  to carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises —
      • at least once in every 3 years;
      • whenever the fire safety manager becomes aware of any change in work processes or work activities at the premises which is likely to increase the fire risk at the premises; and
      • whenever the Commissioner directs a fire risk assessment to be carried out;
    •  to perform checks to ensure that any fire safety works using alternative solutions meet the requirements set out in the operations and maintenance manual, if any.

    Qualifications of Fire Safety Manager

    Qualifications of Fire Safety Manager

    Courses to qualify for Senior FSM

    • Diploma in Engineering (Building Services and Fire Safety) - Ngee Ann Polytechnic
    • Certificate in Senior Fire Safety Manager - Civil Defence Academy

    Certification of Fire Safety Manager

    Since 13 April 2007, all qualified FSMs holding the relevant FSM qualification need to register with SCDF through the e-FSM Portal to be certified. Newly graduated FSMs will be given a grace period of 3 years from the date of his/her graduation to register with SCDF.

     

    FSMs that did not register with SCDF through the e-FSM Potal within the grace period mentioned above will be barred from doing so and will not be certified. FSMs that are not certified are not allowed to practise or be appointed as FSM by building owners or occupiers.

    Continual Professional Development (CPD) For Fire Safety Manager

    The CPD program has been instituted for FSMs to upgrade their knowledge and skills and to keep abreast with the new developments in the fire safety domain.

     

    The CPD program may be organised by the SCDF or other organisations in the form of refresher courses, workshops, seminars or dialogues and briefings. However, such activities must be accredited by the SCDF and allocated with points.

     

    FSMs who have been certified by SCDF are required to participate in the Continual Professional Development (CPD) programme. Certified FSMs will be awarded the specified CPD points upon completion of any CPD programme. FSMs are to accumulate a minimum of 30 points within the 3 years cycle in order to remain as a Certified FSM. Senior FSM will require 40 CPD points to be recertified as Senior FSM.

     

    Excess points accumulated within the 3 years cycle are not transferable to the next cycle.

     

    The 1st CPD cycle had commenced on 1 Jan 2008 to 31 Dec 2010. The current 5th  CPD cycle is from 1 Jan 2020 to 31 Dec 2022.


    Re-certification of Fire Safety Manager

    At the end of the 3-year fixed CPD cycle, FSMs will need to be re-certified through the attainment of at least 30 CPD points within the 3-year cycle to continue to practise as a FSM in the coming CPD cycle.

     

    FSMs that did not meet the requirement of accumulating at least 30 CPD points within the 3-year cycle will be suspended and not be re-certified. In order to continue to practise as a FSM, suspended FSMs will need to undergo and pass a re-validation course to be conducted by Civil Defence Academy to resume their status as certified FSM.

     

    Senior FSM who could meet only 30 CPD points may be re-certified as FSM in the coming CPD cycle but not as Senior FSM. They will need to pass the Senior FSM examination to be re-certified as Senior FSM.

     

    For further clarifications regarding the re-validation course, you may contact Civil Defence Academy at 6794 5502.

    Fire Safety Report

    As of December 2004, Arson Prevention Plan (APP) should be included into the Annual Fire Safety Report. A sample copy of the report is available at the following link:

     


    For further clarifications on the Annual Fire Safety Report, you may contact WO Ferdawati (6848 1742).

    Collection of certificate

    Collection of certificate has to be done by the individual participant at CDA Corporate Affairs Branch. A suitable representative may collect on your behalf, provided he has duly completed the authorisation form.

    1. Fire Safety Manager's authorisation form (PDF, 17 KB)
    2. Senior Fire Safety Manager's authorisation form (PDF, 17 KB)

    SCDF's Guidelines for security personnel to handle fire incidents in Buildings

    1. The security team shall handle fire alarm activation in pairs according to organisational procedures.

    2. Upon hearing the fire alarm, security officers shall ascertain the location of the fire from the main fire alarm panel and use the fire lift to go to two storeys below the fire floor and proceed cautiously to the fire floor via staircase to verify the fire incident.

    3. The Security officer shall then bring the fire lift down to the 1st storey and await the arrival of the Singapore Civil Defence Force. He is to provide relevant details on location, type of fire and possible hazards within the building and especially the fire floor to SCDF upon arrival.

    4. The Security officer shall not reactivate any of the passenger lifts that have been "homed" by the activation of the fire alarm until at such time that the incident has been investigated and mitigated.

    5. If the location of the fire is indicated to be at the basement, the Security officer shall not proceed to fire floor. He shall check CCTV, if available, to verify the fire incident.

    6. In the event of small fire, security personnel shall attempt to extinguish or control the fire without taking undue risk, before the arrival of the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

    7. In the event of a fire that has gone out of control, the security officer shall not attempt to extinguish the fire. He shall proceed to make the appropriate announcements over the PA system and initiate the relevant evacuation procedures.

    Emergency Messages

    Download the following standard pre-recorded messages for broadcast when a fire alarm is activated in the building

    Briefings, Seminars & Lectures

    Download the slides on topics presented during the FSM briefings below:

     

    Archives:

     

    Fire Safety Manager Course

    Companies that are urgently in need to register personnel for the Fire Safety Manager Course can contact Civil Defence Academy (CDA) at scdf_cda@scdf.gov.sg or call 67945502 for assistance in registration matters. The company must provide a supporting letter indicating that they are sponsoring the said personnel for the course.