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Tag: Singapore Civil Defence Force

  • SCDF (NS) Officer: Leaders Need To Inspire Men, Ensure Their Well-Being

    SCDF (NS) Officer: Leaders Need To Inspire Men, Ensure Their Well-Being

    As an NS officer in the SCDF, I am not embarrassed to say that men from my unit were not the cream of the crop. Many of NSFs had family problems, children, pregnant girlfriends and financial problems. They were nevertheless my men. When they came with their problems, I made them mine. I may reprimand them but I also ensured they got out of trouble and never fall again. They must understand the gravity of their actions and at the same time learn of other alternatives to their life choices. If they deliberately fail to comply, they must understand that there are consequences. They may dread my lectures on life decisions after morning CA drills but I would regret not sharing if anything would happen to them. Likewise when they perform, they are recognised and rewarded.

    As leaders it is our duty to inspire our men and ensure their well being is uplifted. They are not just equipment or vehicles that can be managed and left alone. They are humans with needs, motivations and ambitions.

    In return, I only hope that they become better men than they were before and better than me. In fact, I believe they helped me more than I probably have done for them. Thanks guys.

    Officers and enciks, show your men that you are human too – have empathy and compassion. You are not just puppets of bureaucratic systems. Just because you are in one does not mean the same should apply to the way you lead ypur men. Let them see that you are trying your best to make their short 2 years here as fulfilling as possible. They will understand that you have a job to do too.

    I understand it is not easy trying to meet the expectations of our superiors who sometimes do not bother to understand the men. I for one cannot live with this hipocrasy. Officers who try their best always seen as never doing enough. I’m disappointed that they let two of my excellent unit commanders go. Be brave and be the first one to break the ripple that has been haunting the men all their lives and be their window of escape. Feel privileged that God has led them to you so that you may impart your knowledge and experience unto them.

    After I ORD, my men would call me, instead of their current officers, for advice and help. I am glad that in their difficult situations they can at the very least reach me and not take easy way out. One of my man’s parents texted me during Hari Raya a few years back thanking me for taking care of her son DESPITE sending him to dentention barracks. So yes, it is possible.

    At the same time, sometimes men can also be mischievious and malicious. We cannot save all of them nor can we believe every story we hear. After I left, it was sad to hear that some of my men went AWOL. I tried reaching out to them but we can only do so much. So as officers, we must also be aware and identify the men at risk.

    We are a life saving force and it has to first begin with us and our men.

     

    Source: Muhammad Fahmi Hussaini

  • SCDF: Saddened By Death Of PTE Shek Salmin, Ready To Assist His Family

    SCDF: Saddened By Death Of PTE Shek Salmin, Ready To Assist His Family

    We refer to the online posting in the Hardwarezone forum “NSF commit suicide after being charged”.

    The SCDF is saddened by the demise of PTE Shek Salmin Bin Murad and extends our condolences to his family. PTE Shek was a Full-time National Serviceman (NSF) at 1st SCDF Division HQ. Personnel from the Division, led by the Division Commander, attended his funeral yesterday.

    The SCDF stands ready to render assistance to the family members during this difficult time. The Division Commander met the family members to offer our support to them during this time of bereavement.

    All uniformed personnel in SCDF including NSFs are subjected to the Civil Defence Act which stipulates our Code of Conduct and decorum. Anyone who is subjected to formal disciplinary proceedings will appear before an appointed disciplinary officer. The officer will review the case, including taking into consideration mitigating factors, before imposing disciplinary actions. In doing so, the officer is guided by established disciplinary guidelines.

    Any personnel who is encountering personal problem or in distress is encouraged to approach his/her immediate supervisor or Head of Unit. There are also other available avenues for such individual, which include a 24-hour counselling helpline and face-to-face engagement with counsellors.

     

    Source: Singapore Civil Defence Force

  • Dzar Ismail: Jangan Rosakkan Lagi Nama Baik Budak-Budak CD, Hantar Culprits Gi Nepal

    Dzar Ismail: Jangan Rosakkan Lagi Nama Baik Budak-Budak CD, Hantar Culprits Gi Nepal

    Pikirkanlah blood brother korang yg bertungkus lumus bantu mangsa gempa kat Nepal. Jangan sebab segelintir, sebar video rosakkan harta bende, semua nama jadi busuk. Aku pun dulu SCDF jugak.

    Dulu-dulu pakcik-pakcik pandang hina kat aku beb. Nak tackle anak dia, tanya army ker SCDF. Bila sebut SCDF, dia pandang atas bawah.

    Last bila jumpa masa jemputan, cakap dia selalu dengar aku, dan berkenan sangat dengan aku. Well its too late pakcik, sapa suro ko pandang hina kat SCDF! Tapi mungkin selepas hari nih, dia akan senyum! Dia akan cakap, “Aku dah cakap dah!” Aku tau dia tengah senyum! Aku tampar kang. Jadi, hargailah mereka yg mengharumkan nama SCDF. Jangan amek sambil lewa, bila pakai uniform, sebab yg lain, yg tak bersalah, semua akan terbabit.

    Dan kepada SCDF, janganlah sampai buang mereka, tapi, hantarlah mereka ke Nepal, baru mereka tau hargai kehidupan susah, cari mangsa pakai tangan, angkat batu bata, jadi rescuer, jadi medic, baru tahu menilai erti pakai uniform biru tuh.

    Nih dah lemak sangat nih.

     

    Source: Dzar Ismail

     

     

  • Ex-SCDF Regular: The Boys Need To Learn Their Lesson, We Need To Help Them Move On

    Ex-SCDF Regular: The Boys Need To Learn Their Lesson, We Need To Help Them Move On

    Tak surprising video budak-budak SCDF huru-harakan bunk mereka mendapat perhatian awam.

    Apa kan tidak? Bunk dah bukan macam bunk lagi. Tilam ke mana katil ke mana. Yang satu lagi kelihatan meroko di dalam bunk. Ni semua perkara yang bukan diajar SCDF.

    Tidak pernah saya dalam lebih 25 tahun saya dalam SCDF tengok loss of discipline macam ni.

    We face the facts. Senang cakap,rata-ratanya budak-budak SCDF ni memang nakal-nakal. Their background, most of them, they do not have good qualifications some of them from broken homes, some of them parents keluar masuk jail. You have to look very hard to find a boy from a good school like RI or what not….Scholars and officers you don’t count.

    But even though they come from unfortunate background, I can wholeheartedly say,for those people I trained and trained/worked with, I can trust my life in their hands.

    They brave and courageous. Very good firefighters.  You give them an order, they tak gentar tak terfikir berkal-kali. Dia pergi dia complete the task or the rescue.

    Now the section commanders may not necessarily be the bravest or the fittest, but they are leaders and we epect them to lead.  Some are reluctant. Most come from poly. A few sign-on after poly. They are very dedicated the regulars because this is their rice bowl. Cari makan orang Melayu kata. They don’t spit in that rice bowl.

    So i don’t know how come his bunch so teruk gini.

    I’m sure, you put men together,put them through thick and thin, in the end they forge a deep bond and camaraderie.  They do naughty things. Blanket party. Play pranks. Like me. People put kiwi on my toothbrush. We laugh and we move on.

    But these people destroyed property which was handed to them in good condition. They could have been told to sleep on matresses on the floor as part of the course. But no. Because SCDF care. It’s SCDF core values.  Pride and care.

    But these gentlemen never show that. This is not the kind of section commanders or leaders in the SCDF. What they think there’ll be Banglas or maids to clean after them? Ni kita tak nak fikiran macam gini, orang yang tak responsible dalam SCDF.

    Should they be sent to DB or should they be removed of their ranks and FF badges? That is for SCDF to decide after investigation completed.

    However pada pendapat saya, kita harus ingat yang mereka ni semua masih muda dan ada masa depan mereka. Some also may have to to take care of their familiy and may have young children or sick parents and grandparents that depend on them.

    Whatever the punishment is, they have to understand that what they do is wrong and that future batches don’t follow the same way. But hopefully, we don’t destoy their future with the punishment. Build them up. Help them to reintegrate, especially the regulars. It’s not corruption or it’s not refusing to carry out their duties. If convicts can be rehabilitated, I am confident ini budak-budak boleh change their life.

     

    Concerned Ex-Regular

     

  • SCDF: Bunk Wrecking Incident An Isolated Case, Not Reflective Of SCDF And Its Members

    SCDF: Bunk Wrecking Incident An Isolated Case, Not Reflective Of SCDF And Its Members

    The behaviour of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel who were captured on video wrecking their dormitory is out of sync with the rest of the force, said its spokesperson today (April 28), who stressed that the matter is being taken “very seriously”.

    Two short clips uploaded in the past two days show a trashed dormitory where SCDF personnel sporting close-cropped hair were flouting rules, such as smoking. The videos have attracted criticism of the bad behaviour from members of the public.

    But Colonel Abdul Razak Abdul Raheem, director of the SCDF Public Affairs Department, stressed today this was “an isolated incident”.

    “It does not reflect the culture, discipline, decorum and conduct of SCDF officers and men, be it our front-line National Servicemen and regulars, or even our Operationally-Ready NSmen,” he told reporters in Joo Koon Crescent today, where firefighters put out a factory blaze. There were no reported injuries in the incident.

    “As you can see in today’s fire, this is what we do day in, day out, putting ourselves in harm’s way, taking calculated risks to mitigate incidents, to minimise damage to property and save lives. This is SCDF.”

    Col Abdul Razak added that investigations into the incident are ongoing and “will leave no stone unturned”.

    The SCDF has said “disciplinary action will be taken against those who are involved”.

    The two clips appear to be of the same incident.

    The clip uploaded to YouTube today showed an individual using his boot to smear the dormitory floor with what looks like black shoe polish. Like the previous clip that was circulated on Monday night, the new video captured bunk beds and cabinets toppled over in the messy dormitory, with mattresses and litter strewn all around.

    Shouts of “POP lo” could also be heard in the background. The acronym purportedly refers to “Passing-out Parade”, which is the graduation ceremony from training.

    Firefighters interviewed by TODAY on condition of anonymity acknowledged that emotions can run high when trainees graduate, but said they have not seen such behaviour.

    One of them said it is inevitable that trainees will “let loose and get a bit rowdy, but definitely not to this extent”.

    He added: “It’s sad because there are so many people in the force who work so hard and selflessly to save lives and keep the country safe, and then a video like this surfaces and our reputation gets bashed.”

    Another person who has been with the force for eight years said it was the first time he had heard of people celebrating by destroying the place they had been sleeping in during their months in training: “It’s definitely not the norm. We are quite taken aback because this affects everybody; it’s representing SCDF as a whole.

    “The video spread quite fast, and we were told by SCDF today not to continue spreading it around, and not to let it affect our morale,” he added. “Officers said they will investigate and deal with it by the book.”

    A third firefighter agreed, saying: “There’s quite a thick line between stupidity and bravery. It’s disappointing to see their actions.”

     

    Source: www.todayonline.com