High End HRD: The Civil Defense Academy of Singapore

Abstract

Substantial increases in global terrorism, major criminal activities, and natural disasters have highlighted the need for organisations to prepare for and manage crises. Consequently, organisations are now compelled to adopt human capital building initiatives that utilise high-end human resource development (HRD) to provide a safe working environment and to protect the interests of society and business. A world class training facility, the Civil Defence Academy of Singapore, which provides realistic and premium quality simulated learning experiences to respond to and manage crises, is featured. The philosophy and practices informing this approach represent a unique way of powering the human capital required to deal with crises in the Asia Pacific and internationally. Crisis response and management principles developed through well conceived and executed HRD are discussed. These are fundamental to prepare for the protection of human and organisational assets.