Tragically, a Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) regular passed away on Thursday, May 16, after battling a fire onboard a ship anchored in the southwest region of Singapore.
At around 12.15 am, SCDF received an alert about the fire, prompting firefighters from the West Coast Marine Fire Station to board the vessel and commence firefighting operations.
Upon arrival, the firefighters observed smoke emanating from the ship’s engine room.
“During the operation, a regular officer serving as a rota commander partnered with another firefighter to conduct firefighting activities within the smoke-filled engine room,” SCDF stated in a press release issued on Thursday afternoon.
During the firefighting operation, the firefighter directed a water jet towards the fire’s source, while the rota commander utilized a thermal imager to identify additional hot spots within the engine room.
Rotas, or rotations, are teams of SCDF officers who work in shifts at fire stations, with rota commanders leading these teams.
As the operation progressed, another team of firefighters entered the engine room to provide assistance and discovered the rota commander lying at the base of a staircase.
The staircase led approximately 4 meters down to a lower platform within the engine room, separate from where the firefighting operation was underway.
“Although conscious, the rota commander appeared unwell, prompting immediate evacuation. Despite initial consciousness, the rota commander later lost consciousness, leading to the initiation of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR),” SCDF disclosed.
The rota commander was swiftly evacuated to Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal and then transported by an SCDF ambulance to National University Hospital.
Arriving at the hospital around 5:50 am, the officer was subsequently pronounced deceased.
“SCDF expresses deep sorrow over the loss of our officer and extends our utmost support to the family,” SCDF expressed.
Ongoing investigations are being conducted into the incident.
