New Security Environment
In the new security environment, with the increasing number of bombing incidents around the world, no country including Singapore can take safety for granted. Bombing incidents can cause the loss of human lives as well as damage to assets and infrastructure. There is also a clear and present danger of terriorists using non-conventional weapons, e.g. Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs) to inflict maximum physical, psychological and economic damage on their targets. In particular, ‘Dirty Bombs’ could be produced. A ‘Dirty Bomb’ is a conventional explosive packed with radioactive material that scatters across a wide area when the bomb goes off. It kills/injures through the initial blast of the conventional explosive and by the airborne radiation and contamination.
A Hazmat incident must be mitigated promptly, so as to minimise physical deaths and injuries, and to return to normalcy quickly, and to minimise long term social and economic impacts to the country.
Hazmat Incident Management System (HIMS)
During the management of a Hazmat incident, decisions must be based on rational and quantitative information with emphasis on site-specific circumstances and credible extrapolation of possible consequences. The speed and effectiveness of mitigation is dependent on the swift provision of timely and accurate information coupled with appropriate decision-making tools.
Prior to the implementation of HIMS, it was a daunting task to gather and manage disparate sources of information. For instance, Hazmat sensor readings have to be collected from the sensors deployed all over the incident site, the plume models were generated from a standalone plume modeling software, and critical weather information which affects the spread of Hazmat came from the Meteorological Station. Furthermore, having only two-dimensional outdoor plume modeling proved to be a severe limitation for the facilitation of decision-making, especially in Singapore’s urban landscape covered with tall buildings everywhere.
At the incident site, front line responders depended on voice communications to update commanders on what is happening inside the hot zone. Multiple interpretations and translations of the ambiguous verbal updates further added to the inaccuracy of the situational picture. Also, effective coordination and communications depends on the availability of a functional communications infrastructure, which is often lacking in disaster-struck areas. This will severely hinder rescue operations.
It was also very challenging to provide timely information supporting critical decision-making due to the long time required to process and analyse all the relevant data. After the gathered data has been processed and analysed, the next difficulty was the dissemination and sharing of information with responders and related agencies. There was no common platform accessible to all the responders and related agencies.
To produce such critical information and analysis during the crisis for effective incident management, SCDF recognised the need for the implementation of a robust system to provide prompt specialist advice and support to ground commanders and units during the management of HazMat incidents, and to enable the decision makers to make timely decisions by providing a comprehensive situation picture quickly.
What were the key benefits resulting from the initiative? (the solution)
In no more than 500 words, summarize the achievement(s) implemented; how the impact was measured, quantitatively and qualitatively, and who benefited from it.
Please note that the summary should be in narrative, not point form.
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