2017 fatal fire moved S'pore to learn from tragedy, tighten policies: Expert

SCDF's push to remove flammable cladding from buildings cited as example of progress

- Zaihan Mohamed Yusof Senior Correspondent

The newly launched Amphibious Firefighting and Rescue Vehicle, designed to respond to emergencies at reservoirs and rivers, at the Singapore-International Disaster and Emergency Management Expo 2025 on Nov 19. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO

(ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO)

A fatal fire in May 2017 at a building using non-compliant composite external cladding resulted in Singapore tightening policies and processes, which "has shown the world what it means to learn from tragedy and to lead with purpose".

National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) president and chief executive Jim Pauley, a keynote speaker at the inaugural Singapore-International Disaster and Emergency Management Expo (Sidex) 2025 on Nov 19, used the fire, in which a woman died, at the CIT Building in Toh Guan Road to illustrate his point.

Investigations by the Singapore authorities revealed that 60 other buildings had also used the non-compliant cladding.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) stepped in to ensure that flammable cladding was removed, and subsequently put in place stricter policies and certification processes.

SCDF and the building industry also collaborated to rectify the improper use of unsafe composite panels in buildings.

Said Mr Pauley: "It's a shining example of how you took hard lessons and turned them into real progress in the spirit of resilience.

"It's what gives me hope, not just for Singapore but for our global fire-and-life safety community."