Whether it's a Skyride passenger needing emergency help or a fire at the Merlion, Sentosa now has its own fire station with 20 personnel ready to be deployed at any one time.

The island's first fire station was officially opened yesterday, though it has been up and running since June. It houses two fire engines, a fire bike, an ambulance and a support vehicle.

Previously, the island had a fire post that housed a crew of only five Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers manning a Red Rhino and a fire bike.

Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Amrin Amin, who opened the facility, said the rising number of development projects on Sentosa will lead to increased demand for emergency responses.

"To prepare for this, the SCDF has planned and developed the Sentosa Fire Station to ensure that it maintains a high level of operational readiness and can respond to emergency incidents on the island properly," he said.

Drills conducted on Sentosa by the SCDF crew take into consideration possible emergency scenarios posed by the island's attractions, hotels and residences. For example, a fire simulation at Sentosa's Skyline Luge has the SCDF working together with an in-house response team to evacuate passengers.