SINGAPORE - Of all the missions that Lieutenant-Colonel (Lt-Col) Mohamed Nazim Kudin has been involved in during his 25 years with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the ship fire near the Marina Barrage on July 16, 2018, is one he cannot forget.

The fire started in the captain's cabin and spread to other parts of the ship.

The 48-year-old said: "As a ship is mostly made out of steel or aluminium, the conduction of heat is tremendous... A fire can happen in one cabin and, because of the conduction plates, another fire point can flare up in a cabin three doors down."

He recalled: "(The heat on the burning ship) was really intense. Even on the deck, I felt like I was in a boiling pot. I could see steam coming out."

Four firefighting vessels from the SCDF Marine Division were deployed and the fire was extinguished after five hours.

No injuries were reported and all the ship's crew members were accounted for.

Lt-Col Nazim was involved in setting up the Marine Division when SCDF took over the firefighting operations from the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore on April 1, 2012. He was the head of operations and training between 2012 and 2020.

On Friday (April 1), he was one of the 10 alumni and pioneers to receive a medallion at the division's 10th anniversary celebration at the Brani Marine Fire Station, near HarbourFront.

Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who was the guest of honour at the event, said in his speech that as an international maritime hub with one of the world's busiest container ports and the new Tuas Mega Port project, Singapore is seeing threats in its waters multiplying.

He said: "These highlight the critical role that the Marine Division plays, and the need for the Marine Division to continue enhancing its capacity and capabilities to deal with the wide range of incidents."

Associate Professor Faishal thanked the past and current Marine Division teams for their unwavering dedication and hard work.

When the division was set up in 2012, it had about 50 people, two vessels and one marine fire station - the West Coast Marine Fire Station. Now, it has about 220 people, six vessels, two fire stations and two fire posts.

Between 2012 and last year, it responded to 56 fire incidents and 77 rescue incidents.

Colonel Ryan Ong, who is the division commander, said: "We will continue to build our capabilities and capacity by expanding our fleet of marine vessels, upskilling our officers and leveraging on advanced and unmanned technologies for firefighting and rescue operations."

The event also marked the official operation of the heavy fire vessel Red Sailfish. The vessel, built by defence technology company ST Engineering's marine arm, is said to be one of the world's most powerful firefighting vessels in terms of water output.

Prof Faishal said Marine Division is currently testing the use of unmanned technologies, such as the unmanned surface vessel and unmanned aerial vehicle, for fire and rescue operations.

Meanwhile, the SCDF is set to open Punggol Marine Fire Post by 2025, which will improve response times in the north-eastern parts of Singapore. It also plans to expand its fleet to 10 vessels by 2029.

Lt-Col Nazim, who now heads the specialist training centre at the Civil Defence Academy, said: "In the longer run, we want to leverage more on technology and see how we can reduce the stress on the firefighters, and be early adopters of unmanned technologies.

"Ultimately, everything should leverage technology. If I can send one less firefighter, I'm putting one less person at risk," he said.

Three notable incidents handled by the Marine Division

Sept 13, 2021

The SCDF deployed two vessels to a ship anchored in eastern Singapore after a crew member was suspected to have suffered a stroke.

Seven SCDF marine specialists, including two emergency medical technicians, boarded the vessel and secured the crew member onto a stretcher, before lowering him into a marine rescue vessel. He was taken to Changi General Hospital.

Nov 13, 2020

Two vessels were dispatched to an anchored container ship in the south-east of Singapore after a man fell down a hatch and had a serious leg injury.

Two SCDF marine specialists placed the man on a stretcher, which was then lowered by ropes and pulleys into a heavy rescue vessel. The man was taken to Singapore General Hospital.

Aug 2, 2016

SCDF firefighters took seven hours to extinguish a fire that broke out on a large cargo barge docked at a shipyard in Tuas South Boulevard.

Two marine firefighting vessels, among other firefighting vehicles, were deployed to the scene. The vessels were used to cool the exterior of the barge to prevent the fire from spreading.

After that, marine specialists and firefighters entered the barge to extinguish the fire.