Col Anwar Abdullah

Col Anwar Abdullah, Director of Operations, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore

Col Anwar Abdullah is the Director of Operations, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Singapore. He has been with the Singapore Civil Defence Force for 17 years.

High points in his career include his involvement in 2003 in one of the worst bush fire operations affecting the states of New South Wales and Canberra in Australia that tragically killed 4 residents in Canberra. For his efforts, COL Anwar was awarded with the Canberra State Emergency Medal. As part of SCDF overseas humanitarian assistance, he led SCDF team to assist in the post-earthquake search and rescue operations on the island of Nias, Indonesia in April 2005 (where Singapore Rescue Team successfully rescued 2 live casualties from the concrete rubbles) and in Yogyakarta in Central Java in August 2006.

COL Anwar was also involved in the Nicoll Highway collapse incident in Singapore in 2004 where he was awarded a state commendation medal for his efforts. Regionally, COL Anwar was involved in the ASEAN Committee on Disaster Management (ACDM). He played a significant role in the formulation, discussion and negotiation of the first ever ASEAN Agreement on Disaster Management and Emergency Response (AADMER) that was signed by the ASEAN Foreign Minister on 26 July 2005 in Vientienne Lao PDR. He also played a pivotal role in the development of the Standard Operating Procedures for Regional Standby Arrangement and Coordination of Joint Disaster Relief and Emergency Response Operations (SASOP).

Presently, he represents SCDF in the United Nation INSARAG Asia Pacific Regional Group and International Fire Chiefs’ Association of Asia (IFCAA). He is also the Executive Director of the National Fire and Civil Emergency Preparedness Council (NFEC), a national body responsible to promote fire prevention and civil emergency preparedness to make Singapore a safe and secure nation.

Past Employment

• Commander of the 2nd Civil Defence Division, Civil Defence Force
• Chief Instructor at the Civil Defence Academy, Civil Defence Force
• Head of Doctrine and Development, Civil Defence Force

Qualification

• Master of Science in Risk Crisis and Disaster Management.
• Bachelor of Economics Degree (Hons).

Commendations

• Canberra State Emergency Medal, Canberra, Australia
• State Commendation, Singapore

Professional Affiliation

• SCDF Representative, UN INSARAG Asia Pacific Regional Group
• Executive Director, National Fire and Civil Emergency Preparedness Council (NFEC)