Go behind the scenes to find out how the Home Team Agencies are driving the initiative that helps counter terrorism and prepare the community for emergencies.
BY MORGAN AWYONG
PHOTOS: MHA
The terror threat remains very real and Singapore is a prized target. Launched in September 2016, the SGSecure movement is Singapore’s community response to the threat of terrorism. SGSecure is the national movement to sensitise, train and mobilise the community to play a part to prevent and deal with a terror attack. By leveraging the power of the community, it aims to heighten vigilance, enhance resilience and strengthen social cohesion during peacetime so that our people are better-equipped to deal with a terrorist attack.
Engaging different segments of the community through public agencies, the SGSecure Programme Office (SSPO) from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Joint Operations Group, oversees the SGSecure movement with support from other government agencies and the Home Team Departments, namely the Singapore Police Force (SPF) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
We speak to three officers from the SSPO, SPF and SCDF to find out how they help to achieve this important mission, and how the public can contribute towards the movement.
EVOLVING WITH THE COMMUNITY
Since its inception, the SGSecure programme has evolved through the movement’s constant engagement with the public. The Community Response Roundtable (CRRT), for instance, provides a platform for an open dialogue with key stakeholders and community groups to co-create plans for emergency responses.
This was demonstrated at the Bukit Panjang Town CRRT, in September 2022, where members unanimously indicated it was essential to learn lifesaving skills. This led to increased participation in SCDF’s Community Emergency Preparedness Programme to learn about firefighting, first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and how to use an automated external defibrillator (AED).
Ms Seah Wei Ying, 31, who is currently Senior Manager (Programmes) with the SSPO, shared that this feeds into the new phase of SGSecure that was announced in July 2023. She added that the tagline, ‘What’s Your Role?’, calls on Singaporeans to discover the role we can each play in combating terrorism.”
As a civilian officer, Seah works with uniformed colleagues from diverse backgrounds. For now, she is overseeing the new series of roadshows launched in September 2023 to promote the new phase of SGSecure through interactive engagement and gamification.
“My colleagues and I have been working closely with our partners to develop content for the roadshows, which have new interactive elements to make it a more engaging and exciting experience for youths,” reveals Seah. She cites examples such as a memory game that helps individuals identify signs of radicalisation, a motion sensor-enabled game that trains them to get to safety during an attack and a word-hunting game that promotes the kampung spirit.
Scheduled to be held at Jurong Point from 29 to 31 March 2024, the next roadshow will be a fun and engaging way for the public to learn about their role in the collective response against terror threats.
“There is no act too small in our fight against terrorism. Every little thing we do can make a big difference in keeping Singapore safe from terrorism,” Seah says.
CONNECTING WITH YOUR NEIGHBOURHOOD
Instantly recognisable in their uniforms, SPF officers are a reassuring presence for many. Besides maintaining law and order, they also serve as safety ambassadors on the ground.
As an officer at the Community Policing Unit (CPU) of Punggol Neighbourhood Police Centre, Sergeant (Sgt) Muhammad Asyraf enjoys conducting patrols to interact with residents. “Being a CPU officer provides me with the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life and learn about their different experiences,” he explains. Together with the volunteers from Citizens on Patrol and Volunteer Special Constabulary, he also shares crime prevention tips with residents.
As part of his SGSecure outreach efforts, the 33-year-old conducts house visits to residents. “During our engagement sessions with residents, we share the SGSecure advisories and encourage them to download the SGSecure mobile application to better understand how they can prepare themselves even during peacetime,” he shares. There, he is often asked by residents: “Isn’t Singapore safe and not a target of terrorist attack?”
To that, he reiterates how “a terrorist attack can occur anywhere, at any time”.
Sgt Asyraf also reaches out to younger Singaporeans at schools, where he advises them on how to stand united against terrorism by identifying signs of radicalisation in loved ones and caring for them: “Create a safe space for the individual to share their thoughts or concerns, and assure him or her that he or she is doing the right thing by not keeping his or her feelings to himself or herself,” he stresses. “At the same time, be sensitive to how the individual is feeling and show empathy.”
FIRST TO THE SCENE
(LTA) Sasha Ong from SCDF is keenly aware that every second matters when it comes to an emergency response. As a public education officer, she helps to coordinate the Responders Plus Programme (restructured in December 2023 from the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme). Conducted free-of-charge at the four SCDF divisional headquarters, the programme equips the public with essential life-saving skills, such as the use of CPR-AED, basic firefighting and first aid techniques.
The 28-year-old has seen the positive impact of Community First Responders (CFRs), who have rendered aid by helping to extinguish minor fires and administering CPR and AED on cardiac arrest patients.
“CFRs play a crucial role as they act as the first line of help during emergencies — they are often the ones nearest to the fire incident or cardiac arrest victim, and they can provide immediate assistance before SCDF arrives,” (LTA) Ong explains. “One of the most important emergency preparedness skills is knowing how to administer CPR and use the AED. When a cardiac arrest occurs, time is of the essence, and every minute plays a critical role in determining the outcome,” she adds.
The Responders Plus Programme draws an average of 700 to 800 participants each month. However, (LTA) Ong notes a sense of wariness in some. “Some CFRs are apprehensive about performing CPR on cardiac arrest patients, expressing their fear of causing more harm than good,” she shares, stressing that the underlying dynamics of such fears must be addressed through increased education to boost the programme’s effectiveness.
Nonetheless, she is buoyed by the successes she’s witnessed. For instance, a friend who had trained as a CFR responded to a cardiac arrest case via the myResponder app and brought an AED to the patient’s home.
“Another community responder had arrived at the home before her and commenced CPR, so she assisted to place the AED pads on the patient and deliver one shock before the arrival of SCDF,” (LTA) Ong recounts. “This touched me greatly and reinforced the idea that anyone can be a community responder,” says the young officer.
HOW YOU CAN JOIN THE SGSECURE MOVEMENT
Discover your role with a quiz: Everyone has a role in keeping Singapore safe from terrorism. Find out yours through this personality quiz.
Join us as an SGSecure Responder: Your timely assistance to someone in need can help save a life. Sign up here.
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