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The Civil Defence Academy’s (CDA) enduring philosophy “Train as we Operate” is deeply entrenched in SCDF officers. This is especially so for SCDF’s trainers at the Home Team Tactical Centre (HTTC) where there are various purpose-built training simulators, such as ORCA, a simulator specially designed to provide realistic marine firefighting and rescue simulations and scenarios for trainees.
The prolonged COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world in every aspect of life. Apart from physical health concerns, the pandemic has also greatly affected the mental health of the general population. This is especially true for our heroes at the frontline who have to deal with the higher risk of exposure to the virus, and face tremendous amount of pressure and mental stress from the increased workload due to the COVID-19 virus and its variants. In commemoration of the World Mental Health Day held annually on 10 October, Rescue 995 met up with two SCDF Paracounsellors to find out more on what inspired them to take up this meaningful role of rendering psychological care and emotional support to their fellow frontliners.
On 25 October 2022, in commemoration of 55 years of National Service (NS55), the Civil Resources Unit (CRU) under SCDF’s Logistics Department, partnered with Thye Hua Kwan Senior Care Centre @ Kaki Bukit (THKSCC) to organise a charity event with the theme “When Lifesaving Meets Caregiving”. The SCDF Operational Ready National Servicemen (ORNSmen) from CRU HQ, Bravo Company, served as SCDF’s charity ambassadors and passionately contributed their time and efforts during the event.
Do you believe that being a lifesaver such as a firefighter or an elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) rescuer runs in the family? When one becomes a member of the Lifesaving Force, they become attached to the camaraderie, the thrill and challenges of every mission they are activated for. When their families see how passionate they are in their profession, it piques their interest and thus begins a new “family business” of emergency services.
Since 1967, National Service (NS) has become an accepted rite of passage for all male citizens and Permanent Residents of Singapore. In SCDF, besides training to protect and save lives and property, NS has also incorporated its focus on sustainability and giving back to the community. In commemoration of 55 years of National Service (NS55), Rescue995 has put together a collage of the NS55 Ground-up Initiatives (GUI) on sustainability that we have accomplished for the year.
Meet SGT1 (V) Jean Yves, a newly minted volunteer firefighter in the Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU) who works full-time in a pharmaceutical company. SGT1 (V) Jean is French and became a Singapore Permanent Resident (PR) in 2020 after spending 12 years on the sunny island pursuing his doctorate (PhD) in Bioengineering, juggling a full-time career and starting his family. To him, Singapore is more than just a home and he is now proudly serving the nation by volunteering his time in the CDAU as a firefighter.
Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate and express our love to that special one who matters the most in our lives. As we celebrate Valentine’s Day, Rescue995 engaged three lovely couples from SCDF who shared with us their romantic journeys.
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.
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.
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.