Archive

In Conversation with CPT Pek Hong Kun, First Female Officer-On-Watch At Marine Division

Meet CPT Pek Hong Kun, SCDF Marine Division’s first female Officer-On-Watch (OOW). On 2 September, she led her team of Marine Specialists in a complex rescue operation involving a man who had fallen within an offshore vessel located about 10km Southwest of Singapore. CPT Pek was posted to Marine Division in 2018. Like all SCDF career officers at Marine Division, she learned the fundamentals of operating and maintaining firefighting and rescue vessels. In addition, CPT Pek had to gain maritime experience navigating the vessels by accumulating at least nine months of being out at sea. She was later selected to be an OOW.

Ms Natasha Kwan, General Manager of Enterprise Public Sector, IBM Singapore [front row, left] and DC Teong How Hwa, Deputy Commissioner (Future Technology & Public Safety) [front row, right] with members of the champion team.

Dr Watson: The Future of Smart Evacuation and Rescue

From 12 to 14 June 2020, 370 teams comprising 1244 students from junior colleges, polytechnics and universities participated in “SCDF X IBM Lifesavers’ Innovation Challenge: Call For Code 2020”, a 48-hour virtual hackathon jointly organised by SCDF and IBM. In July this year, the result of the hackathon was announced and a team of 5 students from the Singapore Management University (SMU) emerged as the champion, winning a cash prize of S$10,000 and USD$120,000 IBM cloud credits.

HeartSavers Saved the Day for Lengkok Bahru Residents

The Queenstown HeartSavers Connect, together with SCDF firefighters and police officers, evacuated about 60 residents from the 7th to the 16th floor when a fire broke out in a kitchen of a HDB unit at Lengkok Bahru on the evening of 16 April 2020. No one was injured.

In Conversation with LCP Antonio, Best Editor for Award-winning Film “Lady E’s Wedding Revenge Plan”

On 25 July 2020, the National Youth Film Awards (NYFA) was held over Facebook live and 26 winners were announced. Organized by *SCAPE, the NYFA celebrates excellence in youths who are highly talented in film-making in Singapore. Among the winners was Rios Morales Carlos Antonio who clinched the prestigious Best Editor award for the award-winning film, Lady E’s Wedding Revenge Plan. The film tells the story of an eccentric young girl’s journey to stop her older sister’s wedding due to fears of growing up. The film was written, produced, and directed by Ngee Ann Polytechnic students, and was awarded Best Editing, Best Director and Best Live Action in the Media Student Category.

SCDF Officer’s Selfless Act Earned Him Praises

Two months ago, SSG Assarie Mohamed, a SCDF Fire Biker and Emergency Medical Technician from Alexandra Fire Station, was cycling along Tampines Link Road when he saw a car crashing into a barricade at the side of the road. Without hesitation, he rushed to aid the driver who was in the state of panic and confusion.

Meet the SCDF Commander Behind the Maritime Sailpast

For the first time since our nation’s independence, the National Day Parade (NDP) was held virtually across the island, as the nation unites in our fight against COVID-19. One of the highlights of this year’s NDP was the Maritime Sailpast where the Life Saving Force showcased three of its marine firefighting vessels. Two of these vessels, the Heavy Fire Vessel (Red Sailfish) and the Heavy Rescue Vessel (Red Manta), were commissioned on 20 August last year, marking a giant leap in our operational capability in maritime firefighting.

From NCDCC Cadets to SCDF Career Officers

Rescue 995 engaged in an interview with WO1 Benjamin Peh, a Fire & Rescue Commander, now on MHA Scholarship, and LTA Jadyn Toh, an Instructing Officer with the Civil Defence Academy to share with us their motivations and journey from the National Civil Defence Cadet Corps (NCDCC) to being career officers with the Life Saving Force.

LTA Janice Lee (former SSGT; first from the right) with the ambulance crew who provided emergency support to DPM Heng Swee Keat in 2016.

Paramedic Turned Fire and Rescue Officer

You would have read or heard the news media coverage on Lieutenant Janice Lee. She was an SCDF paramedic then who was part of the four-member ambulance crew commended by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for providing professional medical intervention on Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat when he collapsed during a Cabinet meeting in 2016. This year, Janice was part of the graduating batch of SCDF officer cadets who have successfully completed the Rota Commander Course (RCC), an eight-month SCDF’s Fire and Rescue Commanders’ course and will be posted to the fire stations as shift/Rota commanders. Rescue 995 engaged the freshly minted Rota Commander Lieutenant (LTA) Janice Lee in an exclusive interview. She first joined SCDF in 2009 as a paramedic at Central Fire Station, holding the rank of Senior Staff Sergeant (SSGT).

In Conversation with Anthony Chen, former SCDF NSF turned Film-Director

Anthony Chen is a young film director who made his debut feature in Ilo Ilo in 2013. It was premiered at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival and was awarded the Camera d’Or award (Best First Feature Film award). He became the first Singaporean to win an award at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival.

Fortitude Beyond Pride and Care

Meet SGT1(V) Koh Yi Hui, 29, a Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU) officer, who was one of the recipients of the SCDF’s Pride and Care Star Award 2020. The annual award recognizes SCDF personnel who have performed beyond their call of duty and displayed the core values of “Pride” in their work and “Care” for the community. Rescue 995 engaged SGT1 (V) Koh, a full-time medical officer at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital (KTPH), for an exclusive interview.