Central Fire Station, which houses the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery.

The Central Fire Station is the oldest existing fire station in Singapore, and is located at Hill Street in the Museum Planning Area, within the Central Area, Singapore's central business district. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 471 KB) Summary Central Fire Station and Civil Defence Heritage Gallery. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (1200x1600, 471 KB) Summary Central Fire Station and Civil Defence Heritage Gallery. ... A fire station is a building or other area set aside for storage of firefighting apparatus i. ... The Central Area is the collective term for a group of financial and commercial districts in centre of Singapore which was previously otherwise known as the Central Business District and was renamed to accommodate the expanded function of the area. ... Montreal skyline Central business district (CBD) and downtown are terms referring to a commercial heart of a city. ...

History

The idea for a professional Fire Brigade was conceived after a fire in Kling Street destroyed S$13,000 worth of property on 7 November 1855. It was 14 years before a volunteer fire service was started and a further 36 years before Singapore's first proper fire station — Central Fire Station — was built. Firefighter with an axe A firefighter, sometimes still called a fireman though women have increasingly joined firefighting units, is a person who is trained and equipped to put out fires, rescue people and in some areas provide emergency medical services. ... It has been suggested that flame be merged into this article or section. ... The Singapore dollar, divided into 100 cents, is the monetary unit of Singapore (currency code SGD). ... November 7 is the 311th day of the year (312th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 54 days remaining. ... 1855 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

In 1905, planning for Central Fire Station began under the supervision of the Fire Brigade superintendent, Montague Pett. The station was completed in 1908. Built at a cost of S$64,000, it included a watch tower and living quarters for firemen. 1905 (MCMV) was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ... 1908 (MCMVIII) is a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... A watchtower is a type of fortification. ...

Central Fire Station had four portable water pumps. Nonetheless, even this basic setting was a huge improvement over what existed before. Superintendent Pett fought for improved working conditions and initiated fire safety measures in public buildings. Standards of operations rose to a professional level and the degree of fire-related damage fell significantly. A pump is a mechanical device used to move liquids or gases. ... Fire safety is a component of Building Safety. ...

The handing over of the fire service to Pett and the setting up of Central Fire Station was a welcome and much needed change. From that time, the Fire Brigade has consistently grown and improved. It became so invaluable that during the Japanese Occupation, the Japanese retained British firemen in their jobs, who were thus spared incarceration. The Japanese Occupation of Singapore was to become a major turning point in the history of several nations, including that of the Japanese, who rampaged down the Malay Peninsula with the singular intent of occupying Singapore to gain greater control over her war-time resource gathering efforts, the British, with... The history of Singapore had a relatively minor role in the greater history of Southeast Asia until 1819, when the Englishman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles founded a British port on the island. ...

The Central Fire Station was gazetted as a national monument on 18 December 1998. A gazette is a newspaper. ... The Preservation of Monuments Board (PMB), a statutory board under the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA), has so far gazetted 54 buildings and structures in Singapore as the National Monuments of Singapore. ... December 18 is the 352nd day of the year (353rd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1998 (MCMXCVIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

Tours

Although the Singapore Fire Service was integrated with the Singapore Civil Defence Force in 1989 and is no longer an independent entity, the Central Fire Station remains in use today. The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) is the main agency in charge of the provision of emergency services in Singapore during peacetime and emergency. ... 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Civil Defence Heritage Gallery housed in Central Fire Station showcases the history of firefighting in Singapore, and reveals the developments of civil defence in Singapore from the 19th century till today. Firefighter with an axe A firefighter, sometimes still called a fireman though women have increasingly joined firefighting units, is a person who is trained and equipped to put out fires, rescue people and in some areas provide emergency medical services. ... The old American Civil Defense logo, used today federally only as a historical reminder on FEMAs seal, the triangle emphasises the 3-step Civil Defense philosophy used before the foundation of FEMA and Comprehensive Emergency Management. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Visitors to the heritage gallery can learn about the civil defence's progression in Singapore through the years, with displays of antique fire engines and other firefighting equipment. There are customised interactive stations for a close-up experience of what fire fighters and rescuers go through during a mission. There are also tours up the hose tower of the Central Fire Station, which was Singapore's highest point during the 1920s. Antique can stand for any of several things: An antique is an object, often furniture or any other domestic item, that is highly valued because of its age, or because it belongs to a specific time period. ... Although civilians may use the terms fire truck and fire engine interchangably, to an emergency worker, the words represent different types of fire fighting apparatus. ... Sometimes referred to as the Jazz Age or primarily in North America and in Australia as the Roaring Twenties . In Europe it is sometimes refered to as the Golden Twenties. ...

Reference

• National Heritage Board (2002), Singapore's 100 Historic Places, Archipelago Press, ISBN 9814068233

See also

• Singapore Civil Defence Force