Civil Defence Act - Singapore Statutes Online

Civil Defence Act

(CHAPTER 42)

(Original Enactment: Act 29 of 1986)

REVISED EDITION 2001

(31st July 2001)

An Act to provide for the raising, maintenance and discipline of a civil defence force and for the exercise of the functions and powers of the Force during national emergencies, and for purposes connected therewith.

[14th November 1986]

PART I

PRELIMINARY

Short title

1. This Act may be cited as the Civil Defence Act.

Interpretation

2. In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires —

“auxiliary member” means any person who has been recruited to serve as a member of the Force on a part-time basis;

“civil defence” means the planning, organisation, co-ordination and implementation of measures, other than measures amounting to an actual combat, that are necessary or desirable for the safety of the public and are designed to guard against, prevent, reduce, or overcome the effects or possible effects of a national emergency or a civil defence emergency, and includes the conducting of, and participation in, drills, exercises and training for such purposes;

“civil defence emergency” means any fire, explosion, earthquake, oil spill, eruption, flood, storm, hazardous materials incident or other happening (whether or not attributable to an attack by an enemy or to any warlike act) that causes or may cause destruction of or damage to property or loss of life or injury or distress to persons or that in any way endangers the safety of the public in Singapore or in any part thereof;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“commanding officer” means —

(a)	an officer who is in command of a unit; or
(b)	an officer on whom the powers and functions of a commanding officer are conferred by or under the regulations;

“Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Civil Defence appointed under section 6;

“detention barracks” means any building or part of a building which is set apart by the Commissioner for those members who are serving sentences of detention;

“disciplinary officer” means a junior disciplinary officer or a senior disciplinary officer designated as such under Part VII;

“emergency services” means any organisation or group of persons providing services to respond to and deal with civil defence emergencies, and includes fire-fighting services, ambulance services and the police;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“ex-NSman” means a former operationally ready national serviceman;

[Act 53 of 2018 wef 01/02/2019]

“Force” means the Singapore Civil Defence Force raised and maintained in accordance with the provisions of this Act;

“full-time service” has the same meaning as in the Enlistment Act (Cap. 93);

“Fund” means the Civil Defence Force Fund established under section 101;

“hazardous material” means any substance or article set out in the Third Schedule to the Road Traffic (Expressway Traffic) Rules (Cap. 276, R 23);

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“hazardous materials incident” means an actual or suspected spillage or other escape of any hazardous material the spillage or escape of which causes or may cause destruction of or damage to property or loss of life or injury or distress to persons or that in any way endangers the safety of the public in Singapore or in any part thereof;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“junior disciplinary officer”, in relation to a person charged with an offence, means an officer commanding a company or equivalent sub-unit or any other officer designated as a junior disciplinary officer by the Commissioner to deal with charges made against a member for the commission of a service offence;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“medical practitioner” includes a medical officer in the service of the Government;

“member” means an officer or a serviceman of the Force, and shall include a volunteer ex‑NSman or an auxiliary member;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

[Act 53 of 2018 wef 01/02/2019]

“national service” and “national serviceman” have the same meanings as in the Enlistment Act;

“non-commissioned officer” means a member holding a rank not higher than the rank of senior warrant officer and not lower than the rank of lance-corporal;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“offence” means an offence punishable under any written law or a service offence;

“officer” means an officer of the rank of second lieutenant and above;

“operationally ready national service” has the same meaning as in the Enlistment Act;

“operationally ready national serviceman” means a person liable to render operationally ready national service under the Enlistment Act;

“person of a higher rank”, in relation to a member, includes any other member who, by virtue of his office or appointment, is entitled to exercise command over the first-mentioned member;

“police officer” means any member of the Singapore Police Force;

“prescribed civil defence emergency device” means —

(a)	a public warning device; or
(b)	such device for the detection or monitoring of a civil defence emergency as may be prescribed,

and includes a prescribed civil defence emergency device installed by the Commissioner, with the agreement of the owner of the premises, before the date of commencement of section 20 of the Civil Defence and Other Matters Act 2018;

[Act 53 of 2018 wef 01/02/2019]

“proper authority” has the same meaning as in the Enlistment Act (Cap. 93);

“provost officer” means any member of the Force appointed by the Commissioner as a provost officer for the purposes of this Act;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“public officer” has the same meaning as in the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore;

“public authority” includes a body corporate constituted under any written law to perform certain functions or vested with certain powers;

“regulations” means the regulations made under this Act;

“senior disciplinary officer”, in relation to a person charged with an offence, means an officer commanding a division, battalion, training school or its equivalent or any other officer designated as a senior disciplinary officer by the Commissioner to deal with charges made against a member for the commission of a service offence;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“serviceman” means a member of the Force holding a rank not higher than the rank of senior warrant officer and includes a recruit in the Force;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“service land” means land (including a building or other structure or part thereof) in the possession of or under the control of —

(a)	the Force; or
(b)	a mess, club, common room, canteen or other institution of the Force;

“service offence” means an offence punishable under any of the provisions of Part V;

“service property” means property used by, or in the possession or control of —

(a)	the Force; or
(b)	a mess, club, common room, canteen or other institution of the Force,

and “service equipment”, “service facilities”, “service ship”, “service aircraft” and “service vehicle” shall have corresponding meanings;

[32/2010 wef 01/02/2011]

“state of civil defence emergency” means a state of civil defence emergency declared under section 102;

“state of emergency” means the period when a Proclamation of Emergency issued by the President under Article 150 of the Constitution of the Republic of Singapore is in force;

[19/94]

[Act 53 of 2018 wef 01/02/2019]

“volunteer ex‑NSman” means an ex‑NSman enrolled as a volunteer ex‑NSman under section 9A.

[Act 53 of 2018 wef 01/02/2019]

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