SCDF to recruit Asean nationals for Emergency Medical Services, but retain 'strong local core'

The Ministry of Home Affairs will be leveraging on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and tapping on foreign talents to ensure adequate manpower for the Home Team.

This is especially important in the face of manpower constraints amid declining birthrates.

An "increasingly complex" threat landscape also means technology such as AI is being used to carry out more sophisticated crimes, said Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo during the Committee of Supply debates in Parliament on Tuesday (Feb. 4).

Tapping on foreign talents

MHA will tap on foreign talents to ensure adequate manpower for the Home Team.

This manpower shortage is more significantly felt in SCDF's Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

SCDF has rolled out initiatives to tackle this challenge, such as expanding recruitment pathways for EMS officers, including the SCDF-ITE Work-Study Diploma Programme in Paramedicine and the Paramedicine Expert Track, to retain expertise in the EMS domain.

However, local recruitment is still insufficient to meet all our needs, Teo said.

Maintaining a strong local core

Hence, starting this month, the MHA will supplement local EMS recruitment with applications from Asean nationals.

"All new recruits, regardless of nationality, will undergo rigorous training and accreditation, including to obtain the necessary professional qualifications, in accordance with SCDF’s standards," said Teo.

At the same time, Teo said that SCDF will continue to focus on recruiting Singaporeans to maintain a "strong local core".

Last January, MHA shared in Parliament that it may allow the Auxiliary Police Forces (APF) to recruit foreign Auxiliary Police Officers (APO) from more sources.

As of December 2024, APOs have been recruited from Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Philippines, India, and China.

Teo said that Singaporeans continue to make up the majority of APOs and will continue to remain so.

Developing AI

To accelerate the development and delivery of AI capabilities across the Home Team, the Home Team Science & Technology Agency (HTX) launched the Home Team AI Movement last year, with the objective of hiring and training a 300-person AI workforce by the end of 2025.

Additionally, HTX is developing an AI training roadmap so officers can use AI tools effectively.

Some examples of AI solutions include the Singapore Civil Defence Force's (SCDF) Targeted On-site Inspection Tool, which is an AI model to assess the likelihood of fire safety violations in commercial and industry premises by using data from various sources, such as past inspection reports.

Another example is AlchemiX, a Gen AI-powered algorithm which was developed to identify the authenticity of audio or video recordings.

This will help in detecting AI-generated scams and falsified content.

Under the Online Criminal Harms Act, directions can be issued to online service providers to prevent potential scam content from reaching Singapore users once such content is detected.

The government is also developing an AI Governance Framework to guide the implementation of AI projects.

Top image via Singapore Civil Defence Force/Facebook