Good Evening, Ladies & Gentlemen

Over the years, Singaporeans have become more aware of the importance of Civil Defence and the need to have an effective emergency response force to manage disasters and crises. The public’s confidence in the capability of the Singapore Civil Defence Force has also improved tremendously. A survey conducted last year indicated that 9 out of 10 are confident that SCDF can help them cope with peacetime emergencies. And more than 70% agreed that SCDF personnel are well-trained for their role.

SCDF’s investment in this Civil Defence Academy bears testimony to its commitment to provide leading edge training to its officers so that they can more than fulfil the public’s confidence in them. This modern Academy, equipped with state-of-the-art training facilities and custom-made simulators will enable SCDF to train regulars and operationally-ready National Servicemen to handle emergencies.

For our National Civil Defence programme to remain effective, the professionalism and competence of the SCDF officers alone is not enough. The community’s involvement is critical. Therefore, this Academy would also provide quality training to the commercial and industrial sectors, and volunteers from the community.

It will also be used by the Home Team to hone its skills to handle emergencies. There should be joint exercises with your Home Team counterparts like the Police and Prisons at this Academy. Such exercises will strengthen your synergies with your fellow Home Team members.

Where there is capacity the Civil Defence Academy will open its doors to trainees from other countries in the region. This will help to promote regional cooperation in managing emergencies. The presence of international trainees in the Academy will no doubt provide greater stimulus to learning for your own instructors and trainees.

I am confident that the Civil Defence Academy will become recognised in its field both at home and abroad.

It is now my pleasure to declare the Civil Defence Academy officially open.

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