Archive

In Conversation with SCDF Legend — Encik Agayle (Part 1)

Meet SWO (RET) Md Salleh Bin Ali who has spent over 40 years of his life as a fireman and trainer in the Singapore Civil Defence Force. At 62 years of age, he is a member of the Merdeka Generation – Singaporeans born in the 1950s – honoured for their contributions to nation building.

The Evolution of SCDF’s Ambulances

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.

Farewell My Friends

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.

Commemorating the 20th Anniversary of the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery

Like all museums, the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery (CDHG) offer visitors a glimpse into the past. However, a visit to the CDHG is not all about an eye-opening experience of the Civil Defence development in Singapore from the late 1800s. It is also a journey on the SCDF today and even a peep into the near future.

Fire Hydrants – The Past, Present and into the Future

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.

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.”

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.

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’.

Innovating Our Future with Digital Technology

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.

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.