Archive

Retired Veteran of the Lifesaving Force: Mentoring Abroad

Meet SWO (RET) Selamat Abdul Jalil spent over two decades of his life as a firefighter and five years as a Senior Instructor at SCDF’s Civil Defence Academy (CDA). During his posting at CDA, he provided Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) training not only to local firefighters, but also to international trainees from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Qatar and Saudi Arabia. In 2014, he began a new chapter in his post-retirement career as a Tactical Advisor at the Abu Dhabi Civil Defence Academy (ADCDA). Rescue 995 caught up with him through a virtual call this month and engaged him in an exclusive interview on his experiences at ADCDA as well as his memorable postings in SCDF.

Beverlyn Huang, Bernice Huang, Mr Wong Hoi Kam and Mdm Beatrice Ho.

A Walk Down Memory Lane with the Huangs

Rescue 995 engaged Bernice and Beverlyn, along with their parents, Mdm Beatrice Ho, a retired Ambulance Officer (AO) and Mr Wong Hoi Kam, a retired ambulance and fire engine driver, in an exclusive interview as they share their most memorable times of their life in the SCDF.

A Role Model for Family

Fifteen years ago, on 19 June, MX Munawar bin Zainudin was officially ‘promoted’ to the role of a father with the birth of his first child, A’zizy Mui’zzuddin bin Munawar. What makes this Father’s Day doubly special is that A’zizy’s birthday coincidently falls on the Father’s Day this year!

Our Lifesavers Bringing Pride to Our Nation at the SEA Games

Meet two of our Full-time National Servicemen, Corporal (NSF) Noah Lim Tian Run and Lance Corporal (NSF) Muhammad Syakir Bin Jeffry, who participated in the 31st Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam from 12 May to 23 May 2022. CPL (NSF) Noah, an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) from Alexandra Fire Station, clinched the gold medal in Ju-jitsu while LCP (NSF) Muhammad Syakir, a firefighter from Tuas Fire Station, took the joint-bronze medal in Pencak Silat for Team Singapore.

Innovative Trainer with a Passion to Serve

Meet WO2 Nasiruddin Ghafor, a Senior Course Specialist who has been with The Life Saving Force for more than 12 years. In 2020, WO2 Nasiruddin was posted to the Civil Defence Academy (CDA) as a trainer. With sheer hard work and determination, he was awarded the Home Team (HT) Trainer of the Year in November 2021, just barely two years as a trainer. WO2 Nasiruddin is actively involved in training Full-time National Servicemen (NSFs) undergoing the Section Commander Course (SCC) at CDA. If you do not already know, WO2 Nasiruddin was previously featured in Rescue 995, back in June 2020, for his swift and courageous act in fighting a fire that engulfed a Yishun HDB unit while on his way to work.

Our Veterans of the Sea, In Commemoration of SCDF Marine Division’s 10th Anniversary

On 1 April 2022, one of the world’s most powerful firefighting vessels, SCDF’s Heavy Fire Vessel (HFV), codenamed the Red Sailfish, put on a majestic display for guests and officers in attendance as SCDF Marine Division celebrated its 10th anniversary. Looking on with pride, SCDF Marine veterans Warrant Officer 1 (WO1) Cheong Kwong Hui, Warrant Officer 2 (WO2) Mohammed Firhin Bin Wahab and WO2 Mohamad Idros Bin Abubakar were among the many Marine Division officers present at this momentous event. Rescue 995 spoke to these marine veterans in an exclusive interview on their experiences as the pioneers who set up SCDF’s Marine Division.

Behind the Scenes (Part 2): The Making of ‘In Safe Hands’

You would have seen or heard about SCDF’s latest Mandarin drama serial, ‘In Safe Hands’ (with English subtitles), which was aired daily on Mediacorp channel 8 from 7 March to 18 March this year. The making of ‘In Safe Hands’ was a challenging but truly enriching experience for the Mediacorp production team, artistes and several SCDF officers. Rescue 995 goes behind the scenes in this exclusive interview with Loh Woon Woon, the Executive Producer; Oh Wei Ting and Lau Ching Poon, the script writers; two SCDF advisers namely Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Khaisarah Mansor and Major (MAJ) Shafi Rafie, as well the SCDF casts: LTC Ryan Hoo Wei Kun, Staff Sergeant (SSG) Gregory Ryan and SSG Kamarul Arifin. Read on to find out more about their experiences in the making of ‘In Safe Hand’.

Behind the Scenes (Part 1): Interview with Four Main Casts of 'In Safe Hands'

You would have seen or heard about SCDF’s latest Mandarin drama serial, ‘In Safe Hands’ (with English subtitles), which was aired daily on Mediacorp Channel 8 from 7 March to 18 March this year. During its premiere, the action-packed drama wowed the audience with adrenaline pumping scenes featuring SCDF’s latest ops-technological gadgets, fleet of emergency appliances as well as our very own officers of different ethnicity acting alongside the Mediacorp artistes. In case you missed it, the 10-episode drama is still available for free on meWATCH and you can catch it here. And now, Rescue 995 welcome the main casts to take centre stage on this exclusive interview as they share their experiences on the production of the drama serial.

Enhanced AED-on-Wheels Programme

The enhanced AED-on-Wheels Programme was launched on 25 February 2022 to equip drivers with Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in their privately-owned vehicles. For a start, in phase one of the programme, there are 50 trained participating drivers. They have been trained to conduct Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and operate an AED, and will be alerted to cardiac arrest cases via the SCDF’s myResponder app within a 1.5 kilometres radius of their location. “Temasek Foundation is glad to partner SCDF for the enhanced AED-on-Wheels Programme,” said Mr Zainul Abidin Rasheed, Board Director of Temasek Foundation Cares. “By equipping Community First Responders (CFRs) with AEDs in their private vehicles, this will enable them to respond quickly during a cardiac arrest emergency and thereby help to improve the victim’s chances of survival.”

Down But Not Out

SCDF emergency responders are often seen as physically strong and always ready to jump into the thick of action to save lives and properties. But did you know that there are a few among them who had to overcome a period of setback or hardship to become such resilient heroes? Lieutenant (LTA) Chennam Uday Samir, a Rota/shift Commander from Punggol Fire Station, is one of them. Rescue 995 engaged LTA Samir in an exclusive interview as he talked about an unexpected twist during his Rota Commander Course (RCC) and how he overcame all odds to eventually become a Rota Commander.