With myResponder, SCDF ORNSmen such as Sergeant1 (V) William Lim Wei Loon are always prepared for emergencies.
TEXT AND PHOTO: SCDF
Community First Responders (CFRs) have always played a pivotal role in times of need. Smart solutions like the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)’s myResponder mobile application (app) significantly enhance their response to emergencies. Launched in 2019, more than 100,000 CFRs have registered with the app. These responders include members of the public, as well as in-house personnel such as the SCDF Operationally Ready National Service (ORNS) men and volunteers from the Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU).
READY TO RESPOND
“I would have the myResponder app turned on, even at work, so that I could respond to any emergency happening nearby,” shared SGT1 (V) William Lim Wei Loon, an Operationally Ready National Service (ORNS) Fire and Rescue Specialist with 1st SCDF Division, who works as a retail supervisor at NTUC FairPrice.
SGT1 (V) Lim completed his full-time National Service (NSF) in 2008 and joined the CDAU as a volunteer firefighter in 2011. “Since my NSF days, I have been trained to be very alert to my surrounding environment, and my first instinct is to always check for any emergency nearby,” he added.
THINKING ON HIS FEET
It was through the myResponder app that SGT1 (V) Lim was alerted to a rubbish bin fire at a void deck in Bukit Batok at about 3am one morning. When he arrived at the location there was neither a fire hose nor an extinguisher nearby.
After surveying the area, he spotted a funeral wake a block away and rushed over to request for assistance to put out the fire. “Whenever I respond to a fire incident, I have to be creative enough to find an effective solution to a problem in the fastest way possible,” said SGT1 (V) Lim. “The people there were very kind and they helped me to extinguish the fire using pails of water from the temporary toilets located outside the funeral hall.”
Besides responding to the myResponder app’s alerts, SGT1 (V) Lim also extinguished a rubbish bin fire near his home two years ago. He was alerted to the blaze after hearing an explosion in his neighbourhood. He rushed to the location but the flames had already spread to a minivan parked nearby.
“As I did not want any passers-by to be harmed, I put out the fire with two fire extinguishers that were taken from the nearby coffeeshop before the firefighters arrived. At the same time, I had to ensure that no one was injured,” said SGT1 (V) Lim.
He added: “As a CFR, I am touched whenever a member of the public thanked me for helping him or her through a crisis. That keeps me going as a volunteer with the SCDF!”
Find out more about how you can make a difference in your community with the CDAU and how other MHA volunteers are helping to keep their neighbourhoods safe.
Visit mha.gov.sg/volunteers and volunteer.gov.sg/mha for more information about their volunteer schemes or connect with the Home Team Volunteer Network on Instagram, Facebook or TikTok.
