A Salute to Our Volunteers, Our Invaluable Partners in commemoration of the International Volunteer Day on 5th December

On 28 October 2021, the Home Team Volunteer Network (HTVN) celebrated its decennial anniversary and held a virtual event to honour its pool of dedicated volunteers. Four outstanding volunteers were recognised for their leadership, strong commitment and active participation in volunteering for the Home Team (HT). Sixteen other HT volunteers received the Commendation Award for their exemplary service.

^{Mr Yunnos Bin Shariff}

Mr Yunnos Bin Shariff is one of the four HT volunteers who was awarded the HTVN Outstanding Volunteer Award. Mr Yunnos had served the firefighting and rescue fraternity since the days of the Singapore Fire Service, predecessor to SCDF. Today, he is still actively serving as a guide at the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery (CDHG) where he is known to share his wealth of experiences with visitors at the gallery. He also plays a crucial role in educating the community on the importance of fire safety and emergency preparedness. At 77 years of age, he is SCDF’s oldest volunteer and still going strong in his spirit of volunteerism.

“Besides being a guide at the gallery, I also donated some of my rich personal collection of fire truck models to the gallery for the visitors to appreciate,” said the retired SCDF officer, whose hobby is collecting vintage badges and other firefighting memorabilia all over the world.

Mr Yunnos’ donation was highly instrumental to the gallery’s remarkable achievement when it bagged the Best Exhibition Award at the National Heritage Board’s inaugural Museum Roundtable Awards in October 2011. Since then, the gallery, the busiest in the HT, has gone on to attain numerous accolades and recognitions.

Mr Yunnos is proud to be a member of the CDHG. “Volunteerism must come from the heart, with a passion to serve,” remarked Mr Yunnos. “I am very determined to continue with my voluntary service at this prestigious gallery even at this age, when in fact, I should be resting at home.”

Among the sixteen volunteers who were awarded the HTVN Commendation Award for exemplary services are SCDF’s MAJ (V) Tan Teow Chye, Officer Cadet Trainee (OCT) Adam Idris Lim Wei and Captain (NCDCC) Nur Fadliyana Binte Komarudin.

^{MAJ (V) Tan Teow Chye}

MAJ (V) Tan Teow Chye, a Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU) officer, was the recipient of the Outstanding SCDF Volunteer Award in 2019. He is a highly passionate and dedicated Public Education Instructor (PEI) with 1^st SCDF Division and has volunteered with SCDF for more than 15 years.

“As a lecturer for nearly 40 years, I use my teaching skills to engage the public in the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP). I also gamified some of the lessons to make them more engaging,” said MAJ (V) Tan, who currently teaches at Singapore Polytechnic.

He added, “When I shared with my CEPP trainees on my personal experiences as a frontline SCDF volunteer in attending to real emergencies, they were very captivated and were greatly appreciative of the things they learnt.”

^{MAJ (V) Tan sharing his personal experiences as a frontline SCDF volunteer to CEPP trainees in class.}

MAJ (V) Tan consistently receives favourable feedback from the CEPP trainees on his delivery of lessons. When asked about his views on volunteerism, MAJ (V) Tan explained, “Volunteerism in civil defence is a serious business that requires tremendous effort and dedication. In SCDF, whether you are a National Serviceman, career officer or a volunteer, in the eyes of the public you are all SCDF officers because we all wear the same blue uniform.”

^{OCT Adam Idris Lim Wei}

Another HTVN Commendation Award recipient, Officer Cadet Trainee (OCT) Adam Idris Lim Wei, was the President of the Civil Defence Lionhearter (CDLH) Club at Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). During his time with the club, he made significant contributions to its development and was a highly regarded CD Lionhearter.

“To turn away when I have the ability to help is unbecoming of a person with good character. I find it difficult to neglect the skills that I have honed when I know the difference they can make to the people around me”, said OCT Adam, when asked about his unwavering passion to serve the community as a former CD Lionhearter.

OCT Adam has also volunteered as a Fire and Rescue Specialist (FRS) with the CDAU since April 2019. Upon graduation from SUTD in August this year, OCT Adam joined the Life Saving Force as a full-time career officer. He is now a Senior Officer Cadet trainee attached to the In-Camp Training Branch of the Civil Defence Academy.

“My experience as a new career officer with the SCDF is different from my frontline experience as an FRS with the CDAU. Nonetheless, both are equally enriching and fulfilling,” said OCT Adam. “For instance, I find myself in awe at how proficient our ORNSmen are at transforming MRT stations into shelters overnight. This is one aspect of SCDF which I have not seen before. I am proud of the professionalism of our NSmen as well as career officers, and the sheer amount of efforts which they commit daily to keep us safe and secure.”

OCT Adam, a top graduate (honours with distinction) in engineering and product development, looks forward to contribute towards SCDF’s pursuit in robotics and artificial intelligence for its frontline operations.

^{Captain (NCDCC) Nur Fadliyana Binte Komarudin}

CPT (NCDCC) Nur Fadliyana Binte Komarudin also received the HTVN Commendation Award for her unwavering dedication to the National Civil Defence Cadet Corp (NCDCC). She holds the rank of Captain (CPT) in NCDCC.

CPT (NCDCC) Fadliyana has served the NCDCC for over 14 years. She started her journey as a cadet in Tampines Secondary School in 2007 before becoming a Cadet Lieutenant (CLT) in 2010 and was recognised as the Best Trainee during the CLT Course. In 2014, she was promoted to the rank of LTA (NCDCC) and subsequently to the rank of CPT (NCDCC) in 2019.

“What attracted me to serve in NCDCC was the prestigious and immaculate look of the uniform, and it was also my childhood dream to be a fire woman to help others in distress,” recalled CPT (NCDCC) Fadliyana.

Prior to the suspension of mass events due to COVID-19, CPT (NCDCC) Fadliyana actively volunteered as an instructor in many NCDCC events and courses, most notably the Singapore Youth Festival Parade, the NCDCC Adventure Training Camp and the CLT Courses.

“Seeing how my cadets matured over the years even after the NCDCC courses gives me a sense of fulfilment as a volunteer instructor. I am proud to be part of their growth in character and personal leadership, and this is what keeps me going,” said CPT (NCDCC) Fadliyana.

^{CPT (NCDCC) Nur Fadliyana Binte Komarudin (in the middle foreground) with the NCDCC contingent which she led during the SCDF Parade in 2019.}