When Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Tan Kok Beng received complaints about an elderly woman cluttering a common corridor with junk in March last year, he doggedly visited her Housing and Development Board (HDB) unit in Yishun every week for a month to persuade her to clear out the items.
Even when he went out of his way and offered to help her clear out the junk, he was met with aggression and hostility.
“She kept shouting ‘Don’t throw, don’t throw!’,” said SSgt Tan. “She even threatened to burn everything and kill herself, so she was referred to the IMH (Institute of Mental Health).”
But SSgt Tan persisted in getting the lady to consent to the junk being cleared. “She eventually agreed, because she could not do anything (from the IMH),” he said.
On Thursday (Jan 8), SSgt Tan and another 65 Home Team officers were presented with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Star Service Award, which recognises officers for delivering outstanding service to the public. Another Star award recipient at the ministry’s biennial Excel Fest was Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer SSgt Muhammad Hafidz, who had rescued a man from a burning HDB unit even though he was off duty.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO INNOVATION
The MHA’s 3i Awards were also presented on Thursday to 32 Home Team officers for their contributions towards innovation in the ministry.
One of the recipients was SCDF chief medical officer Ng Yih Yng, who devised a live, over-the-phone coaching solution for SCDF dispatchers to walk bystanders through the steps of performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on heart attack victims.
“Previously, the dispatchers would ask bystanders if they wanted to do CPR. Most would decline. Either (they were) fearful or (they) lacked experience,” said Dr Ng. “So we changed our approach by telling bystanders that they have to perform CPR.”
Every year, about 1,800 Singaporeans suffer from sudden cardiac arrest and only 3 per cent of them survive the attack. Dr Ng said the coaching solution has almost doubled the number of bystanders performing CPR on heart attack victims annually from 391 to 782. “Cardiac arrest victims could die within 10 minutes. There are so many things a bystander can do to help a heart attack victim survive. That’s what we want people to understand,” he said.
Tending to mangled bodies in road traffic accidents, putting out blazing fires and saving lives.
These were some of the things Mr Shazni Bin Mohamed Salim, 27, did while he was serving his National Service (NS) with the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) in 2007.
“It was through my NS experience that I realised the importance of saving lives. As responders, we make a difference between life and death for the people involved,” said Shazni.
He decided to embark on a career as a professional firefighter with ExxonMobil as he wanted to gain more experience in the private sector before signing on with SCDF after completing his studies.
At ExxonMobil, Shazni responds to incidents occurring within the company’s facilities and tries to resolve them before the arrival of SCDF.
He also handles the daily maintenance of firefighting equipment and is the trainer for in-house firefighting courses for technicians and contractors.
Inspired by his NS stint with SCDF and wanting to contribute to society with his firefighting abilities, Shazni made the next step of joining the Civil Defence Auxilliary Unit (CDAU).
“My NS experience was instrumental in motivating me to be a firefighter. After becoming one, I thought I could make myself useful by volunteering with CDAU to serve the public,” he shared.
Shazni is posted to Ang Mo Kio Fire Station and does a minimum of 16 hours each month, working alongside regulars to conduct rescues. “I might only be an auxiliary firefighter, but my duties are similar to those of the regulars. I believe we all play an equally important role,” he said.
The camaraderie among SCDF firefighters and the shared effort put into rescues are reminiscent of his NS days, and they never fail to bring a smile on Shazni’s face.
“SCDF’s culture is very close knit. The team is very united and we watch out for each other. It reminds me of how it was like during NS. It may be exhausting at times but the positive team spirit keeps us going,” said Shazni.
Besides pledging allegiance to SCDF’s mission of protecting and saving lives and property, he also lives by his two favourite quotes—“All men are created equal, then a few become firemen” and “Leave no men behind”.
Shazni recalls a particular fire incident along Rowell Road that took place in 2012.
Tired and hungry from a full day’s work, he was about to tuck into dinner with his fellow firefighters when they were suddenly called to assist in a rescue. Although he was originally assigned to set up a supporting appliance, tables turned at the scene and he had to help put out the raging fire instead.
“In rescue missions, situations can change quickly and we need to be alert and responsive. You quickly forget how hungry and tired you are when you are engrossed with fighting the fire,” said Shazni.
For those who are considering being a CDAU volunteer, Shazni emphasises, “Having a good team spirit and putting others before self are essential qualities to doing this job well. Take the first step and make a difference in the lives of our people.”
All 12 members of SSgt Jailani’s family poses for a fun shot at their chalet.
Returning to his flat in Woodlands, Staff Sergeant (SSgt) Mohamed Jailani, 36, is greeted by his wife and ten children.
“When people hear that I have ten children, they are astounded, but to me, it’s just having a bigger family that’s all, no different from everyone else,” says SSgt Jailani
The rescue specialist is part of the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s elite unit – the Disaster and Rescue Team (DART) which handles complex rescue and fire-fighting incidents such as urban search and rescue, prolonged fire fighting, height and confined space operations and water rescue.
Only the best officers join DART and they undergo an extremely grueling selection test.
View the SCDF DART Selection videos as Home Team News tails 16 DART hopefuls, of which SSgt Jailani was one of them.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TF142sb-S8
During the selection, SSgt Jailani often came close to giving up due to the sheer physically and mental stress of the 28-hour test that included a 7km run, 21km road march, concrete wall breeching, height and confined space test and heat and humidity endurance.
As they say, looks can be deceiving.
Although SSgt Jailani stands at 1.58m and weighs only 49kg, he was able to carry dummy casualties heavier than him (wearing his breathing apparatus which weighs 15kg) and perform the other range of challenging and sometimes excruciating exercises.
“What other officers can’t do, DART must do, because we are called in to perform the more complex and demanding emergencies, so we cannot afford to slip up because real lives are at stake in every crisis, that’s why the selection is so tough,” says SSgt Jailani.
To train for his selection, he had to sacrifice some family time, but it was worth the while and SSgt Jailani was one of 8officers of 16 officers who signed up for the DART selection back in 2012.
What keeps him in the force for 8 years is his passion for rescuing people.
“When you save someone, the feeling is indescribable,” say SSgt Jailani.
He says that height rescue operations are challenging due to the danger and to have many people watching from the ground.
“Any rescue job that cannot be done we must be able to finish it. We cannot afford to make mistakes because real lives are at stake. So it is really demanding to hold on the DART tag,’ says SSgt Jailani.
Not only is SSgt Jailani a passionate rescue specialist, he is also a generous and loving father to ten children.
“Sometimes, I also don’t know how I manage ten children. Without the support and love of my wonderful wife, it would be impossible,” SSgt Jailani smiles lovingly at his wife Rohana of 11 years.
His youngest child is five years old and SSgt Jailani calls himself the luckiest man on earth to have a supportive wife.
During the tough 28 hour DART selection, Rohana was supportive of his ambition but was saddened as she knew how physically and mentally drained SSgt Jailani was that week.
“My children too adore my work, they are proud of me and I share some experiences with them like the road traffic cases I attend to – to help them understand the importance of road safety. But the difficult and gruesome cases I will not share as I don’t want to worry them,” says SSgt Jailani.
Having ten children who are understanding and mature has made parenting a little more easier for Jailani and Rohana.
The family enjoys simple outings the beach, playing charades and having BBQ sessions.
Having to raise so many children in Singapore is a formidable feat but it does not come without challenges.
“Finance is of course the toughest, I don’t need to explain more as Singapore is the most expensive city in the world,” jokes SSgt Jailani who lives in a 5-room flat with his family.
His wife Rohana has given up her job to be a stay-home mother to look after her children.
When he went on dates with his wife, his children would tag along and they would go window shopping or have long walks in the park and sit by the playground.
“My other worries are to teach them not to mix with bad company, how to save money even with little money, learning the needs and strengths of all my ten children and helping them to love me as their father,” says SSgt Jalani.
This fathers’ day, SSgt Jailani celebrates with his family at a chalet where they bond over good food and a splashing good time at the pool.
SINGAPORE: A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer narrowly escaped injury after a hydraulic jack that was being used to lift a bus suddenly gave way.
This dramatic account by police officer Senior Station Inspector Akhbar Ali of how Indian national Sakthivel Kumaravelu’s body was extricated was heard on day seven by the Committee of Inquiry (COI) into the Little India riot on December 8 last year.
The COI was told that an SCDF officer was trying to extricate Sakthivel’s body from under a bus as a boisterous crowd ignored instructions to back away. Instead, the crowd continued to push the vehicle.
This caused the hydraulic jack that was lifting the bus to suddenly give way.
The SCDF officer was almost pinned under the bus and only just managed to get out in time.
He also managed to partially pull Sakthivel’s body out from under the bus. When the body was finally extricated, the SCDF officers placed a white cloth over the body.
Senior Station Inspector Akhbar on Thursday said he also helped to clear a path for the SCDF officers as they carried Sakthivel’s body to a nearby ambulance.
He also told the committee that he was angry and frustrated when he saw two police cars being flipped on their sides.
He said a group of foreign workers told the officers not to intervene as the crowd was violent and would not hesitate to harm them.
Separately, a traffic police officer – who directed seven others to get out of an ambulance and run – explained to the committee that they had not done so out of cowardice.
Station Inspector Muhammad Adil Lawi said he heard the rioters threatening to burn the ambulance, and evacuating was a “tactical decision” as he felt their lives were at stake.
There was also another vehicle which had been set ablaze near the ambulance.
“When I saw the fire through the cracked windscreen, I realised there was no more time to spare, and that the threat was very real,” he said.
Station Inspector Adil added that if they had not evacuated the vehicle, they would have been burnt alive.
According to his statement, the ambulance exploded shortly after they left the vehicle.
As the most senior officer in the vehicle, he said he felt a sense of responsibility, and directed the officers to run in the direction of Bukit Timah Road because he knew there were police resources there.
In the video clip of the incident – which was shown in court on Thursday – a group of foreign workers were seen opening the doors of the ambulance.
When asked if he knew whether these men were targeting the police, Station Inspector Adil responded: “I could not take the risk, because I don’t know if they were rioters or people trying to help us.”
The committee also heard that not all the foreign workers who were present at the scene of the riot that night were hostile, and some had even tried to help the police.
For example, a group of workers carrying a bag that appeared to be on fire tried to set a police patrol car ablaze, but were stopped by others in the crowd.
In another video clip, a man was seen dancing around a burning Traffic Police motorcycle and, shortly after, was pulled away from the wreckage by another man from the crowd.
Two other officers also described how they stayed at the scene despite being outnumbered, including Staff Sergeant Kamisah Hanafi, who was hit in the stomach by a concrete slab, and Traffic Police Officer Fadli Shaifuddin Mohamed Sani, who drew his baton and charged at a group of rioters several times to try and contain the situation.
When asked by the committee if he feared for his safety, or was worried that he would be overwhelmed and his weapon taken, Traffic Police Officer Fadli Shaifuddin Mohamed Sani replied that his purpose was to instill law and order, and ensure that no innocent bystanders were hurt.
He was commended by the four-member committee, who called his actions brave.
