Next to the Queensway Shopping Centre, you will spot a modern building. Opened in 2005, this complex was the first in Singapore to house both the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) under one roof.
The first fire-fighting force in this area dates back to 1939. The Auxiliary Fire Brigade of 15 officers and 60 firemen was stationed at the Archipelago Brewery Company until February 1954, when Alexandra Fire Station opened.
Alexandra Fire Station played a vital role in fighting kampong fires common during the 1960s, such as the Bukit Ho Swee fire of 1961. It was eventually demolished in 2002 to make way for the current headquarters of SCDF's 1st Division and its fire-fighters. It is housed in the right of the building.
Queenstown's former police station was opened in September 1963 along Queensway and housed the Royal Malaysia Police until Singapore's independence in 1965. Today, Queenstown Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) is situated on the left of this complex.
Over the years, the relationship between the community and the police has been close and it was partly due to this that Queenstown was chosen to pilot the Neighbourhood Police Centre (NPC) system in 1997. Based on the Japanese Koban system, NPCs allowed police officers on the ground to perform more duties, such as investigative work. The success of Queenstown's NPC was followed by other NPCs island-wide. Today, there are a total of 32 NPCs in Singapore.