Over 300 premises with CERTs in Singapore: SCDF

SINGAPORE — Premises that store more than five metric tonnes of petroleum and flammable materials must have Company Emergency Response Teams (CERT) to respond to fire and hazardous materials emergencies.

There are currently over 300 of these premises in the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) database, said the SCDF.

The onus is on premise owners, with help from their fire safety managers, to ensure a CERT is formed, and is adequately trained and equipped. CERT members are trained via courses provided by several approved training organisations accredited by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency. Through the courses, they will be competent enough in incident management and in responding to fire and hazardous materials emergencies, said the SCDF.

For its part, the SCDF audits CERTs annually. A typical audit assesses the CERT’s incident response capabilities though a simulated exercise. The exercise serves to validate the company’s emergency response plan, which is a requirement under the Fire Safety Act. The audit also consists of a full evacuation drill, and a check of the CERT’s equipment serviceability records and training records. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY FRANCIS LAW