Celebrating the good samaritans – The SCDF Volunteer Gala Nite 2019 celebrates the contributions of volunteers and citizens.

To commemorate 150 years of Civil Defence (CD) volunteerism, a year-long series of activities has been organised to highlight and recognise the contributions of Singapore Civil Defence Force volunteers and Community First Responders (CFRs) for their good Samaritan acts.

The SCDF Volunteer Gala Nite 2019 was held on 19 July to celebrate the enduring spirit of CD volunteerism. Madam Halimah Yacob, President of Singapore, was the Guest of Honour at the event, which took place at the Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel. She was joined by Mr K Shanmugam, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for Law; Mr Amrin Amin, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Health; and Commissioner SCDF Eric Yap.

The special function highlighted the SCDF’s volunteer schemes, and paid tribute to members of the public who have stepped forward as CFRs during emergency situations.

In her speech, Madam Halimah thanked both former and current volunteers for their bravery and service to the community, while emphasising the role community self-help plays in the safekeeping of our nation.

She presented the inaugural Outstanding SCDF Volunteer Award to 12 volunteers who have served actively for at least six years and have undertaken a leadership role within their respective volunteer schemes.

One of the pioneer award recipients is Mr Yunnos Bin Shariff, a 76-year-old who has served in the SCDF for 41 years. He is now retired but volunteers with the Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit. The other recognition saw eight CFRs receive the Community Lifesaver Award for their quick thinking and public spiritedness actions, which helped save lives.

The SCDF has many volunteer schemes – for as young as upper primary school children – to encourage public participation at an early age.