SCDF Hosts the 28th International Fire Chiefs' Association of Asia General Conference

The International Fire Chiefs" Association of Asia (IFCAA) is a grouping of Fire Chiefs which was formed in May 1960. IFCAA"s objective is to maintain friendly relations amongst the Fire Chiefs in Asia and Oceania; and to promote the exchange of knowledge and information on the development of Asia"s fire services, fire fighting systems and practices. This is achieved through platforms such as the Association's bulletins and organising international conferences related to the fire services.

 

Currently, the IFCAA grouping consists of fire and rescue agencies from 24 countries spanning 2 regions. The current President is the fire chief of the Tokyo Fire Department, Japan. Commissioner SCDF represents Singapore and is one of the four Vice-Presidents, with the others coming from Hong Kong, Malaysia and Philippines.

 

The IFCAA Conference is held biennially. The theme chosen for the two-day conference (11 Sept to 12 Sept 2014) is "Working Together for a Fire Safe Asia," outlining the cooperative spirit of member countries working closely to enhance regional capacity to deal with fire and rescue incidents. This is the second time the SCDF is hosting the conference in Singapore, the first was in 1988.

Mr Khoo Boon Hui, Senior Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), was the Guest-of-Honour at the opening ceremony this morning held at the Singapore Expo.

 

"The Asia-Pacific region has experienced some of the most devastating disasters in recent times, affecting not only millions of people, but also resulting in the immeasurable loss of lives. These calamities serve to reinforce the important role fire and rescue services play during a disaster. The IFCAA platform allows fire services to exchange knowledge, developments and experiences in new fire systems and rescue practices. Comprising representation from 24 countries, this collective spirit of sharing, understanding and building knowledge will go a long way towards enhancing regional capacity to deal effectively with fire and rescue incidents during major emergencies."

 

-Mr Khoo Boon Hui, Senior Deputy Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs

International Fire-Chiefs'-Association of Asia 2014 -Group photo of Fire-Chiefs