Commissioner Eric Yap,
Distinguished guests,
SCDF and Home Team colleagues,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Good afternoon.
INTRODUCTION
2. I am pleased to be here today to officiate the opening of the Sentosa Fire Station.
3. Over the years, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has established a comprehensive network of fire stations and fire posts strategically located across Singapore. This enables the SCDF to maintain a high level of operational readiness and swift response to emergencies.
4. The Sentosa Fire Station is the latest frontline unit of this network, making it the 21st fire station in Singapore.
SENTOSA FIRE STATION – NEW BEGINNINGS
5. In 2008, the SCDF established its presence in Sentosa to provide emergency services on the island, with a Fire Post which housed a crew of five SCDF officers manning a Red Rhino and a Fire Bike.
6. Since then, Sentosa has seen rapid developments in tourist attractions, hotels and residences. This has led to a significant increase in visitors, employees and residents on the island. Sentosa is now home to about 6000 residents and receives an average of 19 million visitors annually[1].
7. This is projected to increase further with more development projects in the pipeline. Demand for emergency response will also increase. To prepare for this, the SCDF has planned and developed the Sentosa Fire Station to ensure that it maintains a high level of operational readiness and can respond to emergency incidents on the island promptly.
8. Before the Sentosa Fire Station became operational on 6 June 2016, the Marina Bay Fire Station, situated on the mainland, was the closest SCDF response base. Emergency resources would have taken at least 11 minutes just to reach the Sentosa Gateway.
9. With the Sentosa Fire Station located on the island, the SCDF can now respond to emergency incidents in any part of Sentosa within 8 minutes.
GREEN BUILDING
10. The Sentosa Fire Station is Singapore's first fire station to acquire the Building and Construction Authority Green Mark Platinum award by incorporating advanced eco-friendly systems within the building.
11. The solar panels on the rooftop of the fire station will supply electricity to meet at least 6% of the station's total energy consumption. In addition, solar water heaters, 100% LED lighting, as well as the 'cool' facade paint which reduces the heat transfer into the building interior are some of the sustainable and environmentally-friendly features integrated into the building's design. This will help to further reduce the energy consumption of the fire station.
PARTNERSHIP WITH STAKEHOLDERS
12. As one of Singapore's largest and most iconic tourist attractions, where thousands of people live, work and play, safety and emergency preparedness on Sentosa island is a critical priority.
13. The Sentosa Fire Station will facilitate closer collaboration between the SCDF and the various stakeholders on the island to raise the level of emergency preparedness and to collectively mitigate any emergency incidents effectively.
14. For example the Sentosa Fire Station will work closely with the Company Emergency Response Teams from the various organisations operating on the island such as Universal Studios Singapore and Resorts World Sentosa. They conduct regular drills and exercises to ensure close coordination during an emergency.
15. The SCDF's Volunteer and Community Partnership Department has also been working closely with Kidzania Singapore to build a replica of a fire station in the indoor edutainment theme park.
16. This is an example of the SCDF's continual commitment to engage its stakeholders and to reach out to the young. The replica fire station in Kidzania provides an interactive and fun learning experience for children, introducing them to the skills and knowledge needed as community first responders.
17. I understand that since the opening of Kidzania in April this year, the replica fire station in Kidzania is one of the top five popular stations of the theme park.
CONCLUSION
18. I am confident that with the support of the Sentosa community, the Sentosa Fire Station will further raise the level of preparedness for emergency response on the island.
19. I would also like to thank our close partners, the Sentosa Development Corporation and Sentosa Golf Club, which the Sentosa Fire Station is situated next to, for supporting the development of the fire station.
20. Sentosa is a Malay word which has origins from Sanskrit – it means peace and tranquillity. I am very sure many of you will agree with me the upgrade from a fire post to a fire station will increase peace and tranquillity on the island.
21. On that note, ladies and gentlemen, it now gives me great pleasure to declare Sentosa Fire Station open. Thank you.
[1] Source: iaapa.org . IAAPA stands for International Association of Amusement Parks with membership in 99 countries involving some 5000 amusement industry members.
