On a rainy evening a month ago, SGT2 Victor Phua, a Paramedic Trainee then, was travelling along the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) with his family when a road traffic accident occurred.
“I was driving when an elderly couple on a bike sped past me on the first lane and suddenly skidded right in front of me,” SGT2 Victor recalled what he saw on that fateful evening. “Sparks flew and debris were strewn about as the couple fell off their motorcycle. A car in front of mine had thankfully halted just in time. Without hesitation, I stopped my car by the side of the highway and rushed to assist the couple.”
After assessing the elderly couple’s physical condition, SGT2 Victor cautiously guided them safely to the road shoulder to avoid ongoing traffic.
“As I was helping the couple to cross the busy lanes of the highway, fortunately a lady driver came out of her car to assist in stopping the traffic so that I could bring the couple safely to the road shoulder,” said SGT2 Victor. “Miraculously, the couple only sustained abrasions and I believe their attire could have prevented them from being seriously injured. In the end, they declined to be conveyed to hospital and rode off safely on their motorcycle which had some surface damages.”
SGT2 Victor’s altruistic deed earned him praises from none other than the lady driver who had assisted to stop the traffic that day.
SGT2 Victor, who has been with SCDF for only a year and a half, said that as a member of the Force, it is only natural for him to step forward to lend a helping hand whenever there is an emergency, regardless of whether he is on duty or off work.
“I cannot comprehend the notion that someone is in need and you simply do nothing but just walk away. For me, when someone is in need, I’ll have to help! Isn’t that expected of us as human beings for a fellow human being?” exclaimed SGT2 Victor rhetorically. The dashing young father uttered passionately on how his attitude towards altruism governs his life and the way he brings up his two children.
SGT2 Victor added that Community First Responders (CFR) play an important role in being there for a victim during the initial crucial moment of an emergency before help from SCDF arrives. CFR can even make a positive difference to one’s life.
On the roles that untrained members of the public could do during an emergency, SGT2 Victor advised, “When a medical emergency occurs, simple acts by members of the public, such as calling 995, calling out to bystanders for help or simply accompanying the victim prior to SCDF’s arrival, would go a long way in helping and calming that distressed victim. Just don’t be the one who walks away, please!”
SGT2 Victor is a dedicated paramedic at Woodlands Fire Station and is a proud member of The Life Saving Force.
