Two firms have joined hands to be the first in Singapore to provide auxiliary police officers that can perform both security roles and fire-safety inspections and enforcement, among others.
Aimed at tackling the manpower crunch in the industry, Aetos officers who are cross-trained can expect to be paid more, once fire-safety training for them begins from next January.
Aetos Holdings announced the signing of a memorandum of understanding with Cosem Safety & Security Services in a statement last Friday.
Cosem Safety & Security Services is a subsidiary company of the Cooperative of Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) Employees.
It is managed and staffed by former SCDF employees and other professionals in the safety and security field.
Aetos chief executive Alfred Fox, who is a former Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) brigadier-general who also headed the National Day Parade 2018 executive committee, said Cosem's capabilities in safety will complement Aetos' security track record.
"By leveraging this collective expertise, Aetos can now unlock greater value for our clients through an expanded suite of integrated service offerings consisting of safety, security and facilities management, among others," said Mr Fox.
In its statement, Aetos said it will be the first integrated service provider to offer end-to-end fire-safety inspections, enforcement and monitoring services in partnership with Cosem.
It added that officers who are cross-trained can look forward to receiving additional allowances.
Having such training will allow them to tackle emergencies more efficiently, it added.
"For instance, if there was a fire at a critical key installation, our officers who had undergone Cert (Company Emergency Response Team) training would be better prepared and equipped with the right skill sets to respond to such situations."
From next January, all Aetos auxiliary police officers will progressively undergo Cert training.
Cert teams are trained as first responders to an emergency before the SCDF arrives.
Training will be provided by Cosem, and auxiliary police officers will be exposed to practical and realistic safety-related training scenarios, said Aetos.
Cosem chief executive Ng Chee Kiang said that apart from sa-ving costs for its clients, the company believes that the partner-ship will raise their clients' over-all state of emergency readiness and response.
Mr Fox said his previous experience in the SAF made him familiar with national security matters and with leading large organisations.
He emphasised the key role that an organisation's people play in it.
"It starts by leading them well, looking after them, training and equipping them adequately and appreciating their efforts of service," he added.
"This is why Aetos values our people and is looking closely at training and upskilling our people for longer employment terms."
