September, 2008
Home Team Heroes
A huge section of Nicoll Highway suddenly collapsed into the ground where construction for the Circle Line MRT tunnel was being dug. The public had to stay clear. But, LTC Kadir Maideen Mohamed and his men from DART had to go right in to look for victims. They had to work in chest-high, murky water, surrounded by sharp metal and concrete structures. They did not know if there would be further soil movements which would trap them too. After four days of searching in perilous conditions, LTC Kadir and his men managed to retrieve three of the four bodies that were trapped in the rubble. LTC Kadir and eight other SCDF officers were awarded the Medal of Valour.
Q: You and your men have been awarded the Medal of Valour. You’ve been in situations that most people would run away from. Are you all brave like crazy, or just well trained to deal with danger?
LTC Kadir: We did what we had to do during the Nicoll Highway operations because we have received the training and had also experienced numerous other types of incidents. In addition, we were also equipped with state of the art equipment that allowed us to work confidently in such a situation. Everyone at DART is a team player and that is crucial to effectively mitigating any incident. At DART, we also regularly remind ourselves of our noble life saving mission and this is what spurs us on each day.
Q: What were you like as a student and what school did you go to? Back then, did you ever imagine you’d be doing what you’re doing now?
LTC Kadir: I went to St. Stephen's Sch, St. Patricks Sch, Victoria Junior College & then to NTU. In the 80s, safety and security issues were not in prominence. It was only when I served my NS in the Police Force that I saw these issues and the importance of readiness and community involvement and preparedness. My NS experience spurred me and I immediately joined the SCDF after graduation to pursue my dream.
Q: Do you have kids, and what do they think about your work?
LTC Kadir: I have a 12yr old daughter Nur Amalena & 10 yr old son Md Aqmal who are very excited about the work I do. They have also grown up understanding the needs for safety & security awareness and preparedness. My children also regularly join me at community events organised by SCDF and enjoy greatly the learning experience.
Q: You've dealt with some big and unusual disasters like the Nicoll Highway cave-in. But what are some of the more common kinds of accidents that hurt or kill people?
LTC Kadir: The most common kinds of accidents resulting from fires in residential and non-residential premises are cases of "dropped light" and the overheating of food. For the first six months of this year, "dropped light" accounted for a total of 1,625 cases. "Dropped light" includes items such as cigarette butts, embers from charcoal, lit incense sticks, candles and match sticks, which are not properly extinguished. Dropping a lit cigarette butt from high floors for instance may also spark off a fire as it can end up in someone else’s homes or a dried grass patch at the ground. The other most common kind of accident resulting from fires is overheating of food. There were 320 such cases in the first half of this year. Such fires can be easily prevented. We should be cautious when preparing meals. Leaving the kitchen even for a little while when the stove is on can result in severe fire damage.
Q: Nowadays, when people see an accident, they crowd around and take pictures with their mobile phones. Is this the right thing to do?
LTC Kadir: I would encourage the public to pick up life-saving skills so that they can be useful when they chance upon someone in need. Instead of only taking pictures, you can call 995 immediately and provide SCDF with information such as the location, a brief description of the accident and whether anyone is trapped or injured. These are critical pieces of information that will help SCDF Control Room Operators to dispatch the required firefighting, rescue and emergency ambulance responses to the scene. With the information provided, the responding crews can size-up the situation and ready themselves before arriving at scene.
Q: Tell us one thing that you hope students can do to prepare for emergencies.
LTC Kadir: It is important to learn civil defence skills. CD skills are equally useful in the fight against terrorism as well as during peacetime emergencies too. There are many ways to learn CD skills. For example, SCDF’s Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP) is a modular based free training programme offered to enhanced community emergency preparedness. You will be taught first aid skills, emergency and fire safety procedures and as well casualty evacuation. In addition you will also be taught what to do in unconventional threats. To find out more, you can call SCDF at 6848-1524 or visit the SCDF's website.
For your convenience, SCDF Ready Mobile enables the public to access a collection for emergency advisories for viewing on mobile phone anytime and anywhere. This collection of emergency advisories is available in four languages as well as in both animation and textual format at the SCDF website or even through WAP. To complement your learning journey, SCDF's Individual Readiness Assessment (IREA) is a programme that allows individuals to assess their current state of readiness.
National Civil Defence Cadet Corps, or NCDCC in short, has also been introduced in schools since January 2005. NCDCC nurtures and develops young students into caring and responsible citizens through their participation in interesting and challenging Civil Defence activities. Through NCDCC students will not only learn CD Knowledge and Skills, but will also develop strong character and leadership, as well as a greater awareness of Homeland Security through National Education and Community Service.
Q: You and your men have been awarded the Medal of Valour. You’ve been in situations that most people would run away from. Are you all brave like crazy, or just well trained to deal with danger?
LTC Kadir: We did what we had to do during the Nicoll Highway operations because we have received the training and had also experienced numerous other types of incidents. In addition, we were also equipped with state of the art equipment that allowed us to work confidently in such a situation. Everyone at DART is a team player and that is crucial to effectively mitigating any incident. At DART, we also regularly remind ourselves of our noble life saving mission and this is what spurs us on each day.
Q: What were you like as a student and what school did you go to? Back then, did you ever imagine you’d be doing what you’re doing now?
LTC Kadir: I went to St. Stephen's Sch, St. Patricks Sch, Victoria Junior College & then to NTU. In the 80s, safety and security issues were not in prominence. It was only when I served my NS in the Police Force that I saw these issues and the importance of readiness and community involvement and preparedness. My NS experience spurred me and I immediately joined the SCDF after graduation to pursue my dream.
Q: Do you have kids, and what do they think about your work?
LTC Kadir: I have a 12yr old daughter Nur Amalena & 10 yr old son Md Aqmal who are very excited about the work I do. They have also grown up understanding the needs for safety & security awareness and preparedness. My children also regularly join me at community events organised by SCDF and enjoy greatly the learning experience.
Q: You've dealt with some big and unusual disasters like the Nicoll Highway cave-in. But what are some of the more common kinds of accidents that hurt or kill people?
LTC Kadir: The most common kinds of accidents resulting from fires in residential and non-residential premises are cases of "dropped light" and the overheating of food. For the first six months of this year, "dropped light" accounted for a total of 1,625 cases. "Dropped light" includes items such as cigarette butts, embers from charcoal, lit incense sticks, candles and match sticks, which are not properly extinguished. Dropping a lit cigarette butt from high floors for instance may also spark off a fire as it can end up in someone else’s homes or a dried grass patch at the ground. The other most common kind of accident resulting from fires is overheating of food. There were 320 such cases in the first half of this year. Such fires can be easily prevented. We should be cautious when preparing meals. Leaving the kitchen even for a little while when the stove is on can result in severe fire damage.
Q: Nowadays, when people see an accident, they crowd around and take pictures with their mobile phones. Is this the right thing to do?
LTC Kadir: I would encourage the public to pick up life-saving skills so that they can be useful when they chance upon someone in need. Instead of only taking pictures, you can call 995 immediately and provide SCDF with information such as the location, a brief description of the accident and whether anyone is trapped or injured. These are critical pieces of information that will help SCDF Control Room Operators to dispatch the required firefighting, rescue and emergency ambulance responses to the scene. With the information provided, the responding crews can size-up the situation and ready themselves before arriving at scene.
Q: Tell us one thing that you hope students can do to prepare for emergencies.
LTC Kadir: It is important to learn civil defence skills. CD skills are equally useful in the fight against terrorism as well as during peacetime emergencies too. There are many ways to learn CD skills. For example, SCDF’s Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP) is a modular based free training programme offered to enhanced community emergency preparedness. You will be taught first aid skills, emergency and fire safety procedures and as well casualty evacuation. In addition you will also be taught what to do in unconventional threats. To find out more, you can call SCDF at 6848-1524 or visit the SCDF's website.
For your convenience, SCDF Ready Mobile enables the public to access a collection for emergency advisories for viewing on mobile phone anytime and anywhere. This collection of emergency advisories is available in four languages as well as in both animation and textual format at the SCDF website or even through WAP. To complement your learning journey, SCDF's Individual Readiness Assessment (IREA) is a programme that allows individuals to assess their current state of readiness.
National Civil Defence Cadet Corps, or NCDCC in short, has also been introduced in schools since January 2005. NCDCC nurtures and develops young students into caring and responsible citizens through their participation in interesting and challenging Civil Defence activities. Through NCDCC students will not only learn CD Knowledge and Skills, but will also develop strong character and leadership, as well as a greater awareness of Homeland Security through National Education and Community Service.