Time is of the essence, and this adage is best expressed by a career in the SCDF. Two officers share their stories of life-saving and rescue missions.

By Tang Pin-Ji

Dousing flames with huge jets of water and rescuing trapped people from car wrecks may sound like scenes from your usual action movie. But for SSG Francis Tan and SSG Md Jazman s/o Md Ramzan, these are emergency situations they have been trained to deal with.

Both Francis and Jazman are Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Specialists in the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). Their specialties lie in detecting and containing hazardous materials such as chemicals and toxins. These contribute towards the SCDF’s overall mission of building a world-class organisation that provides fire-fighting and rescue services.

Every second counts
Every moment on the job is a challenge, as it is impossible to anticipate what might happen the next second. From the time an emergency alarm goes off, these men have only one minute to don their gear and head out of the station, and eight minutes to arrive at the scene.

Francis emphasises that a fast response time is absolutely critical. “Wherever you are, whatever you’re doing, you have to stop immediately and slide down the sliding pole. Even if you’re having your lunch, you leave the station within one minute,” he reveals.

“Then comes the eight-minute response time, where you have eight minutes to arrive at the location that was reported to you. So once you’re out of the station, you have to know whether to go left or right. If you go the wrong way, you’ll never meet the response time. And when lives are at stake, every minute counts,” he elaborates.

The 25-year-old used to think that it was impossible to meet the response times, until he had a taste of it himself. “Of course,” he adds, “we need to listen very carefully to commands given by our superiors, and get it right the first time.”

That said, not everyone is cut out for a career with the SCDF as work can be demanding and therefore requires plenty of discipline. One should be prepared to adjust to a regimental life similar to that of the military. On top of that, physical fitness is essential.

According to Francis, a typical day begins with a roll call, followed by the checking of equipment to make sure that everything is operationally-ready. The rest of the day involves scenario drills, enforcement checks on premises around a station’s boundaries, as well as physical training and attending lectures.

Physical training can be tough, as officers need to undergo strenuous tests, one of which involves donning a breathing apparatus for 45 minutes, going through a narrow tunnel, climbing up and down and overcoming barriers along the way. The greatest challenge here is the cold air that stems from the air pressure – very different from that of the atmosphere – which could leave those who are less fit gasping for air.

All these are certainly a far cry from “sitting around and waiting for calls”, which Jazman says is a common misconception of the SCDF held by the older generation. Thanks to the career and awareness talks that he has been giving to secondary and tertiary students, today’s youth have a more accurate picture of what their job really entails.

The life-saving career
If you think it’s all work and no play in camp, 34-year-old Jazman will convince you otherwise. As a Section Commander, his job requires him to foster bonds among both the senior and junior members in his team. To motivate his men, Jazman organises team-building sessions and even social gatherings when off duty. “It’s all a matter of perspective,” he says. “Some people see being cooped up in camp as a loss of freedom. But if you look from another perspective, it actually instils discipline in you. And once you get used to that discipline, it becomes a part of you for the rest of your life.”

For Jazman, life in the SCDF has also made him more patient and a better listener. As for Francis, he has grown more appreciative of life after dealing with matters of life and death on a daily basis.

Prior to joining the organisation, Jazman never quite saw himself as being part of the Home Team. He had been in the service industry for about five years, before a superior suggested to him an alternative career in the SCDF. Then 27, Jazman decided the path was the right one for him and the pride of saving lives was worth a pay cut. It was the prospect of new challenges, as well as a personal dream about “starting a legacy” in his family by being in this line, that prompted him to join the SCDF, he says.

Francis, on the other hand, had not considered a career in the public service until a close friend recommended him to take up this job. For this, he is thankful, otherwise he might have just settled for “something mundane”.

Lifelong learning
Both men are currently pursuing part-time diplomas at Temasek Polytechnic and the future looks rosy for them.

What’s in store includes not just vertical and lateral progression, but also the government-funded Home Affairs Learning & Growth Opportunities (HALO) programme where top junior officers are fully sponsored to study full-time in one of the local universities while continuing to draw salaries, and eventually return to the workforce as senior officers upon completing their studies.