Technological Advances to Assist SCDF in Fighting Fires and Attending to Emergency Cases in Ambulances

Mr Christopher de Souza asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs whether steps are being taken to tap on technological advances to assist the SCDF in fighting fires and attending to emergency cases in ambulances.

Mr Teo Chee Hean: SCDF has a strong innovation culture, and continuously seeks to develop new capabilities and technology solutions that are suited for our local context, learning from the best practices of other leading jurisdictions.

In the area of fire-fighting, SCDF uses advanced fire-fighting and rescue training simulators at the Civil Defence Academy to conduct realistic training and exercises for its officers. SCDF has also over the years introduced new equipment to improve its operational response. One such example is the Light Fire Attack Vehicle or, commonly known as the Red Rhino. This vehicle was designed specifically for SCDF, and provides greater access and mobility in an urban environment. The 4th Generation Red Rhino, launched in September 2014, has improved fire-fighting capabilities and uses compressed air foam instead of water mist technology for more effective fire suppression.

SCDF’s latest innovation in fire-fighting is the Unmanned Fire-fighting Machine. This machine can be deployed in extreme conditions as well as complex and hazardous environments. It has high capacity jets to fight fires and offers our fire-fighters better protection from danger because it is operated remotely. The machines have been successfully deployed in dealing with several industrial fires since their introduction in April 2014.

In the area of emergency medical services, SCDF works closely with the Ministry of Health to make use of advances in medical technology to improve patient outcomes. For example, SCDF has equipped its entire fleet of ambulances with automated external defibrillators (AED) that are able to transmit electrocardiogram (ECG) data en route to the hospital. For patients suffering from a heart attack, the transmission of live ECG data enables the hospital emergency department to assemble its cardiac team for rapid critical intervention while the patient is en route to the hospital. This increases the patient’s chances of survival.