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In mid-April 2021, the new seventh-generation ambulance was unveiled at the SCDF’s annual work plan seminar. The seventh-generation ambulance is designed to tackle both present and future pre-hospital emergency challenges. To be better prepared for future pandemics, an automatic decontamination mist-spray system is built into the vehicle. It sprays non-toxic and non-corrosive disinfectant to decontaminate the ambulance in 20 minutes with the press of a button. The ambulance also utilises solar-power and intelligent charging system to increase operational readiness and flexibility especially during off-site deployments. Other features include a modular equipment storage system and an electronic pulley-controlled loading and unloading system for stretchers that reduces the risk of accidental drop. The new ambulance is a collaboration between SCDF and the Home Team Science and Technology Agency.
Weaving through heavy traffic on their motorcycles, putting out fires with compressed air-foam backpacks and even restarting a heart, SCDF fire bikers are usually the first to arrive at the scene of an emergency. Thanks to their speedy and efficient fire bikes. The fire bikes were first introduced to combat increasing traffic congestion which delays fire appliances responding to emergencies. This is because response time is a critical factor in preventing the spread of fires. It was not until 2012 that fire bikers began to attend to both fire and medical cases.
Meet LTA Mohamed Salih Shaik Dawood, a Deputy Rota Commander of the Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART), who has been with the Force for 24 years. LTA Shaik Dawood, then a second Warrant Officer (WO2), and his team were alerted to a HDB fire at Bukit Batok in 2019. “It was a raging fire! The window panes were shattering due to the intense heat. Our first priority was to get into the house and rescue the casualties immediately,” recalled LTA Shaik Dawood. In a flash, hoses were laid and firefighters broke into the heavily smoke-logged unit armed with water jets.
Meet SSG Teo Wee Siong Vincent, a member of SCDF’s elite Disaster Assistance and Rescue Team (DART) who has been with the Force for over 12 years. He has been a DART Specialist since September 2018, an appointment in which he worked very hard to achieve. Rescue 995 engaged SSG Vincent in an exclusive interview as he shares his personal story, his aspiration to become a DART Specialist and his experiences at the frontline.
The ringing of aft bells from SCDF’s vessels and the final water salute marked the end of service for the Force’s two longest-serving vessels, the Marine Fire Vessels (MFVs) dubbed Firefighter I and Firefighter II. The two MFVs, formerly known as Api Api 1 and Api Api 2, had operated under the ownership of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) until 2012 when they were transferred to SCDF. They were refurbished and renamed as Firefighter I and Firefighter II in 2013. Since then, the vessels have been deployed in numerous firefighting and rescue operations of the Life Saving Force.
Meet Captain (CPT) Sahul Hameed S/O B Sardhar, who has been driving the implementation and adoption of technologies in SCDF to bolster the organisation’s future capabilities in support of its transformation vision since 2020. CPT Sahul started his journey with SCDF in 2012 as a full-time National Service enlistee. After his training, he was posted to Yishun Fire Station as a Fire and Rescue Specialist. His avid interest in robotics development and automation landed him in a staff appointment at SCDF’s Transformation and Future Technology Department to oversee the Force’s research and development in Robotics, Automation and Unmanned Systems.
Community First Responders (CFRs) have always played a pivotal role in helping others during emergencies, including saving lives. The launch of smart technology solutions like the SCDF’s myResponder mobile application (app) in 2019 had significantly enhanced community response to emergencies. Today, there are more than 100,000 registered CFRs on the app. These responders include members of the public as well as our in-house personnel such as the SCDF’s Operational Ready National Service (ORNS) men and volunteers from the Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU).
In December last year, SCDF and the Public Utilities Board (PUB) introduced a pilot project on the Smart Hydrant – a newly designed, intelligent fire hydrant that is easier and faster to operate. With the Smart Hydrant, firefighters will be able to swiftly connect firefighting hoses directly to the arms of the hydrant without any adaptors and do away with the need to remove its pit cover to access the underground valve. These enhanced features along with several others will increase the speed of obtaining water supply, saving the firefighters precious time during an emergency operation such as a major industrial fire.
SCDF has been deeply committed in driving our digital transformation and has embarked on a mission to inculcate a digitally ready and innovative-minded workforce. On 24 January 2022, what was previously known as Innoventure Land was officially rebranded as the Lifesavers Innovation and Technology (LIT) Space. Its soft launch was officiated by Comr Eric Yap, Commissioner SCDF.
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.