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Onward As One: Singapore’s 58th Birthday

As Singapore marked its 58th year of independence on 9 August 2023, Rescue995 is proud to showcase the dedication of SCDF officers as they trained and prepared for this year's National Day Parade (NDP).

Residents having hands-on training with fire extinguishers. PHOTO - SCDF : Thomas Lim

Ready, Set, Save! Making Emergency Preparedness fun for all!

Our community’s emergency preparedness and ability to recover from crisis situations are vital to our nation’s safety and security. To this end, SCDF’s officers from the Division Community Engagement Branches (CEBs) serve as the bridge between SCDF and the public. They work tirelessly with various community partners to conduct public outreach events, such as the Community Resilience Day (CR Day) and the Safety & Security Day (S&S Day). Through these events, the public will gain awareness in emergency preparedness and feel empowered to respond effectively, should any emergency occur. Rescue995 spoke to two CEB officers, to understand the remarkable work they have done for the community.

Inspiring, Mentoring and Nurturing the Next Generation of Paramedics

Rescue995 spoke to Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Carolyn Low, a Principal Course Commander at the National EMS Training Centre (NETC), who oversees Emergency Medical Services (EMS) training in the Civil Defence Academy (CDA). In addition, we also caught up with SGT2 Aiqil Amani Bin Mohammad Syazwan, a Paramedic Specialist who recently passed out as a full-fledged paramedic in January 2023.

[Left to right] SGT1 Yong Hao, SGT1 Aloysius and LCP Raden.

Heroes Behind the Scenes

As our SCDF frontliners work tirelessly to protect and save lives and property, do you know that there are other unsung heroes who provide essential support to our frontliners from behind the scenes? You may not see them in incident highlights or on the news, but they play a crucial role in supporting SCDF’s lifesaving mission. Rescue995 had an exclusive interview with three full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) from the Corporate Services Hub (West) - CSH (W) and the Corporate Services Hub (East) - CSH (E), to learn more about their experiences in SCDF’s support vocations. Let us take a closer look at their roles and contributions!

Honouring and Remembering SCDF’s Fallen Heroes

Clicking and rustling could be heard in the drill yard of the fire station, as fire helmets were unbuckled and taken off. The firefighters held their helmets firmly tucked under their left arms and a few of them lightly touched the red and blue ribbons that were pinned on their fire jackets. For a moment, the air was silent and still, as the SCDF officers bowed their heads in unison and honoured the emergency responders who have fallen in the line of duty. They may no longer be with us, but their sacrifices will never be forgotten.

Exercise Northstar XI: The Epilogue

On 22 March 2023, more than 300 personnel from various agencies, including the SCDF, Singapore Police Force (SPF), Singapore Armed Forces (SAF), JTC Corporation, ExxonMobil, Keppel Infrastructure, Jurong Port Universal Terminal (JPUT), Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), Ministry of Health (MOH), and Home Team Science and Technology Agency (HTX), took part in Exercise Northstar XI at Jurong Island.

Our People Our Pride: Beyond the Call of Duty

On the evening of 14 April 2023, eager whispers could be heard from the Istana lawn, where over 400 guests had gathered. SCDF officers, volunteers and strategic partners were there for the SCDF Garden Reception, which commemorates SCDF Day, marking the merger of the Singapore Fire Service and SCDF on 15 April 1989. At the same time, SCDF officers who went beyond the call of duty to keep Singapore safe were also given recognition for their dedication and commitment to duty. The event was graced by President Halimah Yacob.

LTA Khoo Chong Wee, Emergency Readiness Officer (left) and Ms Khoo Swee Giang, Lead Psychologist (right)

A Lifesaving Mission that Transcends Borders (Part 2)

In this concluding segment of our two-part feature on SCDF's Operation Lionheart (OLH) mission in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, Rescue995 spoke to Colonel (COL) Chew Keng Tok, Commander of the OLH Contingent, and officers from the Emergency Behavioural Sciences & CARE unit (EBSC), Home Team Specialist (HTS) Ms Khoo Swee Giang, Lead Psychologist, and Lieutenant (LTA) Khoo Chong Wee, Emergency Readiness Officer, who reflected on the contingent’s accomplishments and experiences during the deployment.

The SCDF team, a Spanish team and a local team using cutting and breaking equipment at the site

A Lifesaving Mission that Transcends Borders (Part 1)

The Operation Lionheart (OLH) contingent, comprising 68 members and led by COL Chew Keng Tok, Commander of 2nd SCDF Division, returned to Singapore on 18 February 2023, after a 10-day deployment in Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye. The team was deployed to assist in the rescue efforts, following the Türkiye-Syria earthquake on 6 February 2023. Rescue995 spoke to four members of the OLH contingent, who recounted their experiences on the rescue of a child and a man in Kahramanmaraş province, Türkiye. They are LTA Abdul Rashid Bin Abdul Karim, WO1 Fendilato Bin Mohamad Tahir, WO1 Muhammad Faris Bin Mohammad and SGT3 Tamimi Bin Mohamad Mamsi.

[From left to right] LTC (NS) Nicholas Lee, AC Kadir Maideen, and SGT2 (NS) Shawn Quek Source: HomeTeamNS

For NSmen, by NSmen – Building of the HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir Clubhouse

On 4 January 2023, HomeTeamNS celebrated the official opening of its latest clubhouse at HomeTeamNS Bedok Reservoir. As the new waterfront haven opened its doors to members and guests, HomeTeamNS Clubhouse Development Committee (East) Co-Chairman Assistant Commissioner (AC) Kadir Maideen, Vice-Chairman Lieutenant Colonel (NS) Nicholas Lee, and Member SGT2 (NS) Shawn Quek reflected back on their conceptualisation of the HomeTeam NS Clubhouse and their shared vision of how it will serve the Home Team community.