Singapore

Baseline Activities

DISSUADE

DENY

DETECT

DEFEND

Cross-Cutting

Policies that don't fit

Root Causes

Establish Norms

Encourage norms

Enforce norms

Info

Materiel

Equipment

Access

People

Capabilities

Plans

Agents

Disease

Source

Protection

Incident Management (IM) Plans

IM Capabilities/ Resources

Counter- measures

Remediation

Communities

S/L/F Public Health

* The Ministry of Health (MOH) proposed the Biological Agents and Toxins Bill, which would apply different levels of control and penalties to 400 substances. It also establishes a line of responsibility for safety of facilities handling high-risk agents, establishes procedures for possession, import, inventory, and transfer of agents, with stiff penalties.

* The Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention (REDI) Centre pools US and Singapore expertise in research, training, and surveillance to counter bioterrorism. This will feed into wurveillance efforts coordinated by the WHO. The REDI Centre's role is "to enhance the ability to detect, monitor, and respond to emerging infectious diseases and bioterrorism threats in the Asia-Pacific Region" through training, research, and countermeasures development.
* The Regional Emerging Diseases Intervention Centre is also established to help detect and respond to emerging infectious diseases and biothreats.
* The Health Ministry, Environment Ministry (ENV), and Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) also maintain labs to detect quick-spreading diseases.
* Singapore has set up the Asia-Pacific Biosafety Association to facilitate sharing of best practices on working with lethal pathogens, and the reporting of new diseases.
* Ministry of Health (MIH) has sent out directives to medical practicioners to alert them to chem/bio agent symptoms.

* SARS led to quicker system to coordinate government response, improved infection control measures in public hospitals, and strengthened hospital infrastructure.

Hospital/Medical

* Ministry of Health (MIH) has sent out directives to medical practicioners to alert them to chem/bio agent symptoms.

* Hospitals have adequate facilities and supplies to handle patient(s) showing chem/bio symptoms, with refined procedures for quarantine.
* SARS led to quicker system to coordinate government response, improved infection control measures in public hospitals, and strengthened hospital infrastructure.

Law Enforcement

* The Maritime, Aviation, and Port Security (MAPS) ssytem provides long-range surveillance, threat detection and assessment, and immediate response. Supposedly employs electronic motion sensors, "intelligent" closed-circuit TV systems radar, electro-optics and sonar and applies them to bio/chem/rad detectors.

Emergency Management/ Fire

* Plans for country-wide temperature screening if necessary.

* Plans for country-wide temperature screening if necessary.
* SARS led to quicker system to coordinate government response, improved infection control measures in public hospitals, and strengthened hospital infrastructure.
* Contingency plans have been implemented for chem/bio attacks.

* The Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) prepares for all sorts of disasters, including bioterrorism. Recent years have shown increased training, planning, and expertise building.
* In 2004 incident management was supported with the Crisis Information Management System (CIMS) which captures situation updates during an incident.
* Big boost in 2005 for funding for CBRE training and excercises.
* SCDF increased its fleet of emergency vehicles with the new generation Hazmat Control Vehicle. In addition if the Ventilation Vehicle, which creates an air-seal at the entrance of enclosed structures to prevent chemicals from escaping or remediating them.
* SCDF can provide pre-hospital care out of provisional First Aid Posts (FAPs) set up at the incident site for triage.

* SCDF increased its fleet of emergency vehicles with the new generation Hazmat Control Vehicle. In addition if the Ventilation Vehicle, which creates an air-seal at the entrance of enclosed structures to prevent chemicals from escaping or remediating them. Furthermore, it has developed the Decontamination Vacuum Oven to vaporize contaminants without damaging electric equipment.

Biotech Industry

* The Defense Science Organization (DSO) and other companies are working on R&D efforts for early warning and detection of biological agents. These technologies have helped develop remediation, protective, testing, and screening technologies.

Science Community

Military/Defense

* Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) has a real-time tracking system for vehicles carrying dangerous goods, which insures detection of theft of dangerous articles, including biological agents.

* Defense Science Technology Agency (DSTA) has designed technologies for the military to detect bioagents and diagnose conditions with a hand-held device. It can also supposedly test for air and water containmination. Other innovations include technologies to facilitate vaccines, diagnostic devices, and therapeutic treatments, mainly for anthrax.
* DSTA's Defence Medical Research Institute (DMRI) has implemented PCR technology for more rapid and accurate detection of bioagents.

* Defense Science Technology Agency (DSTA) has designed technologies for the military to detect bioagents and diagnose conditions with a hand-held device. It can also supposedly test for air and water containmination. Other innovations include technologies to facilitate vaccines, diagnostic devices, and therapeutic treatments, mainly for anthrax.
* DSTA also helped invent the Infrared Fever Sensing System (IFSS) that was used for SARS to detect fever when screening large groups of people.

* The Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) are the lead agency in development of programs to defend against attacks once they've occurred. Programs are set up with the Centre for Chemical Defense, Defense Science Organisation National Laboratories (CCD, DSO-NL), and the Defense S&T Agency's Defence Medical Research Institute (DSTA, DMRI). The CBRE Defence Group was set up in 1988 and is highly trained for response and decontamination.
* The CBRE Defence Group has engaged in integrated incident response exercise.
* CBRE Defence Group is developing a database of known CBRE terrorist strikes to analyze how they were carried out, to use for planning purposes.

* The SAF's CBRE Defence Group was set up in 1988 and is highly trained for response and decontamination.

Arms Control

* Singapore is signatory to the BWC and participated in confidence-building measures such as voluntary inspections

* Active role in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)

* Active role in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)
* Very strong emphasis on export controls. Singapore is a major implementer of the Container Security Initiative (CSI) and has introduced the Strategic Goods Control Act that regulates trade in strategic goods as well as electronic transmission of strategic goods technology. Strategic goods must be registered with Customs, and permits issued for goods or technology usable for WMD production/delivery. Also includes a blanket control for all goods likely to be used for WMD with strong penalties for violation.

* Met bilaterally with Australians to exchange notes on resolving CBR terrorist incidents.

Federal Government

* Singapore is signatory to the BWC and participated in confidence-building measures such as voluntary inspections

* Ministry of Health has proposed the Biological Agents and Toxins Bill to punish anyone usin ga biologicla agent as a weapon with a more severe sentence.

* Active role in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)
* The Ministry of Health (MOH) proposed the Biological Agents and Toxins Bill, which would apply different levels of control and penalties to 400 substances. It also establishes a line of responsibility for safety of facilities handling high-risk agents, establishes procedures for possession, import, inventory, and transfer of agents, with stiff penalties.

* Active role in the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI)

* Emphasis on "dissuade" in the non-state sense has been limited, focusing instead on preparedness for its deterrent effect.
* Government trying to build up psychological preparedness of the population and raise aweareness and vigilance. The Security Watch Group (SWG) encourages peronnel from high profile buildings to be vigilant, exchange information, and engage in training on protection and response.

* Authorities have launched a campaign to build underground shelters, including subway stations, that can quickly be sealed and converted into self-contained communal areas that are protected. Other shelters are being built in apartment buildings.

* Emphasis on "dissuade" in the non-state sense has been limited, focusing instead on preparedness for its deterrent effect.

Federal Legislative Bodies

* Ministry of Health has proposed the Biological Agents and Toxins Bill to punish anyone usin ga biologicla agent as a weapon with a more severe sentence.

International Public Health

International Organizations

KEY:

SOURCES :

BASELINE ACTIVITIES

1. Dolnik, Adam. Singapore and the Four D's.

GAPS