CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE (Development of)

Mr Yeo Toon Chia asked the Minister for Home Affairs what is the present state of development of the Civil Defence Force and what plans his Ministry has to train and deploy reservists in the Civil Defence programme.

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has four main components: the regular staff, the reservists from full-time Police and SAF national service and those from part-time national service, full-time national service in the Construction Brigade, and the volunteers in the Residential Zones. The regular staff is responsible for the training and management of full-time national servicemen, the reservists, the volunteers and the civilian population in Civil Defence measures.

Regular SCDF officers undergo a training programme that includes attachments to and training by the SAF and Government organizations which have important roles in Civil Defence. For instance, the Public Utilities Board has trained nine SCDF officers on utility repairs. The SAF has trained 16 SCDF officers in heavy plant operations.180 Civil Defence officers have been trained by the SAF School of Military Medicine. 95 officers have been trained by the Housing and Development Board Lift Rescue Unit. As a result of these training programmes, SCDF officers were able to provide public assistance in two recent incidents. 32 officers joined the HDB lift maintenance staff in lift rescue duties in February 1983 during the major power breakdown. Another 60 SCDF officers who were on stand-by for civil emergency were deployed to assist residents to clear debris and mud from the landslide at Depot Road during the recent torrential rain.

Our regular officers will continue to train with other Government essential services to continually upgrade the quality of our Civil Defence Force.

Since January 1982, the SCDF has been training Police and former part-time national servicemen transferred to Civil Defence reserve. 52 courses have been conducted for approximately 4,600 reservists over the past two years. These reservists are deployed mainly in their own constituencies where they form the Civilian Coordination Groups (CCGs) to undertake Civil Defence duties within their own Residential Zones.

Later this year, the SCDF will train SAF and other Police reservists in more com- plex Civil Defence missions that require higher levels of technical skills and organization. These reservists will, on completion of training, be formed into rescue units known as Emergency Response Groups (ERGs).

The full-time national servicemen in the Singapore Civil Defence Force are in the Construction Brigade. The first batch of these servicemen will go into Reserve service from April this year and will be posted to the CCGs or ERGs. With the skills acquired in the construction trade, they will be an asset to the community in Civil Defence missions requiring expertise in building, construction and excavation. Approximately 1,000 Civil Defence national servicemen are expected to go into Reserve service this year.

Volunteer Civil Defence Units (VCDUs) have been formed in 31 constituencies. These volunteers are being trained to operate with reservists in the CCGs and ERGs. This combination of experienced reservists with trained civilian volunteers living in the Residential Zones will ensure that a firm Civil Defence capability is established right at the doorstep of every household.

Approximately 1,500 SAF and 550 Police reservists will be transferred this year to Civil Defence service with numbers increasing over the next two years as the Singapore Civil Defence Force builds up its staff and training schools. These reservists, some of whom would have considerable leadership and technical training, will bring about a qualitative improvement in the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

SAF and Police reservists who have technical skills acquired during National Service or in civilian occupation relevant for Civil Defence work will be posted to the ERGs. The SAF reservist officers and NCOs who have had experience in handling men and equipment will be able to make a major contribution to the effectiveness of the rescue units that will be raised to undertake rescue and repair missions. Officers and NCOs for these groups will be among the first from the SAF and Police to be transferred to Civil Defence.

The bulk of SAF reservists, however, together with other Police reservists trans- ferred to Civil Defence, will be posted to CCGs in the Residential Zones where their presence will boost the Civil Defence Programme in the residential areas. It is a primary objective of the Civil Defence Plan that the people within a residential area should be trained and organised to render immediate assistance to each other during an emergency. Deployment of large numbers of well-trained and disciplined reservists who are residents in the zones and therefore familiar with the local environment would expedite Civil Defence preparations and increase Civil Defence consciousness in the community. 2.45 pm

Mr Yeo Toon Chia (Ang Mo Kio): Sir, a supplementary question. Does the Minister have any plan to have CDF area offices in every heavily populated housing estate in order to have better administration and training of civilian volunteers, CDFs and reservists?

Mr Chua Sian Chin: Mr Speaker, Sir, we are considering such a proposal but we have not finalized it.