Singapore Civil Defence Force

What Singapore Civil Defence Force does

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed government agency under Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs, delivering firefighting, rescue, emergency medical services (EMS), hazardous materials response, and civil defence shelter regulation. The force operates 26 fire stations across the island, the Marine Division for maritime incident response, the elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART), and the 80-member Operation Lionheart Heavy Urban Search and Rescue contingent (the first INSARAG-classified Heavy USAR team in Asia-Pacific, since 2008). SCDF serves the general public through direct channels including the 995 emergency hotline, SMS 70995 for the deaf/hard-of-hearing community, the myResponder mobile app (270,000 registered trained responders), and the Civil Defence Academy. It also regulates fire safety across industrial, commercial, and residential premises via the Fire Code 2023, plan approval processes, Registered Inspector certification, and licensing for petroleum and flammable materials.

SCDF's technology stack includes the EMS Tiered Response Framework (introduced April 2017) and high-performance CPR protocols (April 2019) for differentiated emergency response matched to case severity. Recent technology investments include the AUTONOMAST autonomous maritime conversion system deployed with ST Engineering for unmanned firefighting vessels (reducing human effort by an estimated 50%), AI-enabled smart glasses and augmented reality trials under Transformation 2030, and the new Cell Broadcast System (SG Alert) for real-time location-based emergency alerts, expected to be fully deployed by early 2026. A new Marine Division Headquarters opened on Pulau Brani in June 2026 featuring an Integrated Command Centre, with a fleet expansion plan to reach ten vessels by 2030 in preparation for the Tuas megaport by 2040. Other notable assets include the Unmanned Fire Fighting Machine (UFM), the Light Fire Attack Vehicle (Red Rhino), Fire Bikes, and Fire Medical Vehicles (FMVs) for dual fire-rescue/medical response.

As a government entity, SCDF is funded through the Ministry of Home Affairs annual budget rather than commercial revenue. Ancillary revenue streams include a $274 fee per non-emergency ambulance conveyance (the 1777 hotline for which ceases January 2027, with only 6% of private ambulance bookings routed through it), and training course fees from the Civil Defence Academy. SCDF's customer base spans the entire Singapore population, regulated industrial/commercial premises, and maritime stakeholders; key institutional partnerships include the Singapore Heart Foundation (joint goal of training 1 million community first responders in CPR over five years), the Ministry of Education (school programs through the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps), the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (marine firefighting), the Land Transport Authority (electric vehicle battery fire response), and international bodies such as UNOCHA/INSARAG.

Name

Singapore Civil Defence Force

Legal name

Singapore Civil Defence Force

Website

https://scdf.gov.sg

Company type

Public

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is a uniformed government agency under Singapore's Ministry of Home Affairs providing firefighting, rescue, emergency medical services, hazmat response, and fire safety regulation to the public and regulated industries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Services

NAICS

Fire Protection (92216), Fire Protection (922160)

akta.pro primary industry

Fire & Rescue Services (Fire Suppression, Rescue) (BPAIAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Fire Prevention, Inspection & Code Enforcement (Life Safety) (BPAIAGAL), Firefighting & Emergency Marine Services (Fireboats, Onboard Fire Response) (TLAHAIAG), Safety, Fire Protection & Emergency Systems (Firewater, Gas Detection, Rescue) (IMAJALAL)

Keywords

• Fire and rescue services
• Emergency medical services
• Civil defence operations
• Fire safety regulation
• Emergency preparedness programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Singapore

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Primary funding from Singapore government through Ministry of Home Affairs budget allocations for emergency services, fire safety enforcement, and civil defence operations
2. Non-Emergency Ambulance Fees: $274 charged for each non-emergency case conveyed to hospital; established since April 2019 for non-emergency transport services
3. Training Course Fees: Revenue from community courses at Civil Defence Academy including CERT training, Fire Safety Manager courses, Registered Inspector courses, and other professional training programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

SCDF provides integrated firefighting, emergency medical, and rescue services across Singapore under the 995 emergency hotline, supported by a divisional station network and a Marine Division for port emergencies. Alongside frontline response, it regulates fire safety by enforcing the Fire Code, reviewing building plans, and approving fire safety submissions, and runs community preparedness programmes such as Operation Lionheart for overseas humanitarian assistance. Public-facing technology platforms include the myResponder app for crowdsourced first response and Cell Broadcast for nationwide emergency alerting.

Product overview

The Singapore Civil Defence Force operates as a comprehensive emergency services organisation offering firefighting, rescue, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, and civil defence capabilities. The portfolio includes core response services (995 emergency line, EMS tiered response framework), community engagement tools (myResponder app, Save-A-Life initiative), fire safety infrastructure (Fire Code 2023, HFAD, civil defence shelters), advanced response capabilities (DART, Marine Division with unmanned vessels), international deployment (Operation Lionheart), and training programmes (Civil Defence Academy). The organisation's digital transformation includes the Cell Broadcast System (SG Alert) for mass emergency notifications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• myResponder App: SCDF mobile application that alerts the public to nearby fire and medical emergencies
• Operation Lionheart
• DART (Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team)
• Save-A-Life Initiative
• SG Alert

Products and services

• Fire and Rescue Service Statutory firefighting and rescue service delivered to the Singapore public via the 995 emergency hotline and a nationwide network of fire stations, covering structural fires, road traffic accidents, hazardous materials incidents, and technical rescue.
• Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Pre-hospital emergency medical care and ambulance transport operated by SCDF and dispatched together with fire/rescue resources through the 995 emergency number for medical emergencies in Singapore.
• SCDF Marine Division Firefighting, salvage, and rescue operations for marine and port incidents within Singapore's territorial waters, including vessel fires and sea-based rescues.
• Fire Code Regulation and Plan Approval Regulatory service for building owners, developers, and consultants requiring statutory review and approval of Fire Code submissions, fire safety plans, and related permits in Singapore.
• myResponder App Mobile application through which the public and trained community responders receive alerts about nearby fire and medical emergencies and can be activated to provide first aid, CPR, or AED support before SCDF arrives.
• Cell Broadcast Public Alerting SCDF-coordinated nationwide emergency alerts pushed to mobile devices via Cell Broadcast during fires, hazardous materials incidents, or other public safety emergencies in Singapore.
• Operation Lionheart Humanitarian Assistance Overseas humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) deployments under Operation Lionheart, providing urban search and rescue, emergency medical, and civil defence support to neighbouring countries during major disasters.
• AUTONOMAST Autonomous Firefighting System Autonomous firefighting platform deployed by SCDF to suppress fires in high-risk environments, supporting firefighter safety and extending SCDF's operational capability at major incidents.
• Community Emergency Preparedness Programmes Public education, training, and community preparedness initiatives delivered by SCDF to equip Singapore residents, businesses, and institutions with emergency response readiness, evacuation skills, and civil defence shelter planning.

Quantifiable outcome

• 700 emergency calls handled daily
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ST EngineeringcoreTechnology or IntegrationST Engineering deployed its AUTONOMAST autonomous maritime conversion system with SCDF for firefighting operations, reducing human effort by estimated 50%. System converts manned vessels into unmanned surface vessels with AI-powered navigation, real-time obstacle detection, and secure command-and-control capabilities. Deployment positions SCDF among first emergency response organisations globally to deploy such systems for marine firefighting.
• Local Telecommunications CompaniescoreTechnology or IntegrationTelecommunications partners integrating Cell Broadcast System into Singapore's existing public warning framework. System enables SCDF to send real-time location-based emergency alerts directly to mobile phones across the country, with full deployment expected by early 2026.
• United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCDF participates in UNDAC system as founding member of Asia-Pacific Humanitarian Programme (APHP) under UNOCHA. UNDAC-trained officers on standby for deployment to disaster-hit countries for assessment and coordination. SCDF also participates in ASEAN-ERAT rapid deployable response team.
• International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSCDF Operation Lionheart contingent achieved INSARAG External Classification as Heavy Urban Search and Rescue Team in 2008, first in Asia-Pacific. This UN-affiliated classification allows disaster-affected countries to regard SCDF's USAR capabilities favorably when prioritizing acceptance of international response support.
• Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTraining collaborations conducted in conjunction with Ministry of Foreign Affairs for capacity building in emergency management and disaster response for partner countries.
• Singapore Heart FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through myResponder app with 270,000 registered trained responders. Singapore Heart Foundation announced goal to train 1 million community first responders in CPR over 5 years, planning to train 170,000 students in higher learning and 300,000 teenagers through Ministry of Education.
• Ministry of Education (Singapore)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMOE partnership to train 300,000 teenagers in CPR through school programs as part of Singapore Heart Foundation's goal to train 1 million community first responders over 5 years.
• Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint marine firefighting operations with MPA and Airport Emergency Service at Lorong Halus Jetty fish farm fire. SCDF took over marine fire-fighting functions from MPA in 2012.
• Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX)coreTechnology or IntegrationHTX supporting SCDF digital transformation including AI-enabled smart glasses, augmented reality, and 5G trials as part of innovation centre development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• London Fire Brigade: London Fire Brigade provides fire suppression, rescue, and community safety services under a public authority structure for a dense urban population. Operates a comparable all-hazards emergency response model with strong regulatory and prevention functions akin to SCDF.
• Dubai Civil Defence: Dubai Civil Defence provides fire, rescue, and life-safety services with strong fire code enforcement and inspection functions. Its emphasis on fire prevention regulation and code enforcement aligns with SCDF's regulatory mandate under the Fire Code.
• New York City Fire Department (FDNY): FDNY runs integrated fire, EMS, and technical rescue services for one of the world's largest metropolitan areas. Its combination of front-line emergency response, technical rescue, HazMat, and large-scale training programs closely parallels SCDF's portfolio.
• Tokyo Fire Department: Tokyo Fire Department operates a similarly integrated fire, rescue, EMS, and disaster response mandate for a major Asian metropolitan area. Comparable in scale, scope (including marine and high-rise capabilities), and government-funded model to SCDF.
• Australian State Emergency Service: Australian state-level emergency services provide search, rescue, and disaster response under volunteer and government-supported models. Comparable in community-responder ecosystem approach and broad all-hazards mandate, though operating across larger geographic areas than SCDF.
• Seoul Metropolitan Fire & Disaster Management Headquarters: Seoul's metropolitan fire and disaster management agency delivers fire suppression, EMS, and disaster response services to a major Asian capital. Its integrated command structure, large-scale EMS demand, and urban geography closely mirror SCDF's operating context.
• Hong Kong Fire Services Department: Hong Kong Fire Services Department provides firefighting, rescue, and ambulance services with strong marine and high-rise capabilities in a dense Asian city-state environment. Its all-hazards mandate and government structure make it one of SCDF's closest direct comparables.

Regional players

• Civil Defence Force Malaysia (APM): Malaysia's Civil Defence Force operates disaster relief, rescue, and emergency preparedness functions across Malaysia. Comparable in mandate and regional context, but operates at a national scale rather than a city-state level, making it a regional rather than direct city-level competitor.

Others

• Singapore Red Cross: Singapore Red Cross operates humanitarian assistance, first aid training, and community resilience programs that complement SCDF's mandate. While not a direct competitor, it participates in the same emergency preparedness ecosystem, including myResponder-related first aid training.
• INSARAG (UN OCHA): INSARAG is the UN-affiliated network that classifies international USAR teams, including SCDF's Operation Lionheart. It functions as a coordinating and standard-setting body rather than a direct peer, but it shapes SCDF's international deployment eligibility and training partnerships.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/SCDF
• Facebookfacebook.com/SCDFpage
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/singapore-civil-defence-force
• Instagraminstagram.com/myscdf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Singapore Civil Defence Force