SCDF closes fire station open house as mark of respect for NSF who died from Henderson Road blaze

SINGAPORE — The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said on Friday (Dec 9) that visits to fire stations across the island, as well as to the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery and the Emergency Preparedness Centre, will be closed temporarily to the public. This is as a mark of respect to the full-time national serviceman (NSF) who died after a firefighting operation in Bukit Merah on Thursday.

In response to TODAY’s queries, SCDF said that “as a mark of respect to our fallen comrade who was carrying out his mission of protecting and saving lives and property”, visits to those places will be temporarily closed.

This came after the organisation posted on Facebook earlier in the day that it will not be hosting its weekly open house session at fire stations across Singapore on Saturday.

The Civil Defence Heritage Gallery and the Emergency Preparedness Centre are located at the Central Fire Station on Hill Street.

“Those who made prior bookings at the centre will be contacted for a change in schedule. We apologise for any inconvenience caused,” SCDF said on its Facebook page.

“An update will be provided on the resumption of the above visitation programmes at a later notice.”

Guided tours for the public are usually available at 18 fire stations on Saturday mornings for the open house. These are over two time slots from 9am to 9.50am or 10am to 10.50am, the SCDF website states.

On Thursday, an NSF died after falling unconscious in a flat during a firefighting operation at Block 91 Henderson Road.

He was then carried out of a flat and given cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. The ambulance crew at the scene also used an automated external defibrillator — a device used in cases of cardiac arrest — on him.

The serviceman was then taken to Singapore General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

SCDF on Thursday changed its profile picture and cover photo on Facebook to black and white images.