[Defending the Lion City] Keeping Us Safe Everyday - Singapore's Home Team

FRONTLINERS - Episode 1

Frontliners is a web series about National Servicemen in the SPF and SCDF produced to commemorate 50 years of National Service this year. Catch a glimpse of the extraordinary experiences the National Servicemen faced in this prologue.

See more Videos at: Home Team News (Singapore) FB Page

Very often, our Brothers serving in the S'pore Police Force (SPF), S'pore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and other Home Team agencies, are often overlooked when the topic of National Service comes up. The spotlight is always on the SAF - not because of any other reason, except that the armed forces makes up the largest intake of NS servicemen -therefore the most visible.

There may be endless friendly debates or jibs about whose service is more "siong" (hardship) but that doesn't mean that Home Team servicemen serve Singapore in any lesser capacity or importance.

The reality is that Home Team servicemen are often exposed to real-life situations which can be dangerous and horrifying on a daily basis. Here's an extract of what one SDCF serviceman (‘longtailbutterfly’) had to say.

"... At lunch the next day my friend (SAF LTA) tells me how stressful being an instructor at SAFTI has been recently. I remember as my cylinder got trapped on the fallen wire, and how I thought of my family in those few struggling seconds. I nod my head and grunt. " SAF has it tough with JCC and everything huh?" I joke. He agrees enthusiastically.

All in a day’s work for the NSFs in SPF/SCDF. If we fail, someone dies from our direct actions. Welcome to NS. No second chances or semula. Just death. I wish the public knew the risks that some NSFs take each day. We might not be as fit as NDU or as garang as commandos, but we put our lives on the line literally every day.

As an NSF I can say I have contributed to Singapore. No play acting or training for a war that will never happen (though I understand the incredible need for an armed military). I love my job, I love NS and wouldn't trade it for anything else (maybe an EMT vocation).

I am still amazed that many members of public still associate NS with army. I wish more people would know. There's no greater feeling in this world than knowing some uncle I helped rescue on my first duty at 0200 will live to eat his favourite mee pok or talk cock with his kakis because of my direct actions. Take a look at every fire or major rescue / ambulance incident in the news. Chances are 70% of the people that responded to that incident are NSFs. Whenever I get my haircut at QB the auntie always asks me "boy you army ah?" and I've run out of effort to correct her. Pride and care right?  ..."

SDCF serviceman ‘longtailbutterfly’ (See the full Reddit Post here)

No matter what your NS service branch, vocation or role, we should all recognize that all of us are small but extremely vital cogs in a larger whole called Singapore.

Keep safe and Thank you all for your service to our country.

#DefendingtheLionCity #NationalService #NS50 #OurHomeOurTeam 

Read more here:

Home Team News - Police National Service: The Enlistees' journey

SCDF - Life in Training Camp

About Singapore's National Service

Straits Times - In Pictures: National Service through the years

Somebody's (A.S.S) gonna get hurt real bad

Screen-capture from Google Cache. (Note: Hoax text and Bull-shit logo added by us)

So in other news which is as fake as Trump University, we see All Singapore Stuff aka A.S.S posting a really sensationally fake article today (11 Nov) about the roof of Punggol Waterway Terraces collapsing.

In addition to the picture, this is what the article said.

According to Mothership, it seemed real enough that the authorities (police, SCDF) went to the building to investigate.

As it turns out, HDB has posted on its Facebook page, confirming that the article put up by A.S.S is a hoax., and that a police report will be made soon.

The article has since been taken down but you can still see it on Google Cache here.

What else is there to say? 

Except perhaps....

Well, good luck A.S.S. Your ASS is gonna get hurt soon need it.

Read more here

• Mothership: All Singapore Stuff posts hoax about collapsed roof at Punggol Waterway Terraces, made SPF/SCDF go down to investigate

• Lianhe Zaobao: 水滨台组屋屋顶坍塌？原是虚惊一场 (Mandarin)

• Google Cache of removed A.S.S Article: ROOF OF PUNGGOL WATERWAY TERRACES COLLAPSE 

[Defending the Lion City] What happened during Singapore's Counter-terrorism Exercise

Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) officers storming a cinema in Tampines in Singapore's largest counter-terrorism exercise yet. ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN

Islandwide anti-terror exercise: Officers rescue hostages in cinema and malls
By Danson Cheong, Tiffany Fumiko Tay, Straits Times, Published 18 Oct 2016

SINGAPORE – Their first target was the Century Square shopping mall in Tampines. Walking brazenly into the mall, four “terrorists” started firing without warning. Shoppers who were not killed or injured, ran for cover and called the cops.

Moments later, the first responders from the police’s Ground Response Force and Emergency Response Team arrived on the scene, and they soon overwhelm and kill the four gunmen.

This daring attack set the scene for the islandwide counter-terrorism exercise that culminated in simulated coordinated attacks on shopping malls in Bishan and Tampines in the wee hours of Tuesday (Oct 18) morning.

The scenario was part of Singapore’s largest counter-terrorism exercise. The 18-hour operation led by the police, started on Monday (Oct 17) morning, and ended at 4am on Tuesday (Oct 18). It involved over 3,200 officers, including those from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), other Home Team agencies and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF).

Two "terrorists" have taken hostages inside the BHG department store in Century Square. Police officers from the Anti-Swarming Team arrive to deal with them swiftly. Video: Danson Cheong

In Tampines, police officers pursued the terrorists as they moved from Century Square to the adjacent Tampines Mall. Along the way, the Special Operations Command’s Anti-Swarming Teams were activated to also deal with the threat.

At the Tampines Mall atrium, the officers encountered a terrorist wearing a suicide vest – but before he could detonate it, he was shot and killed. Later, in an act of desperation, the remaining terrorists holed up in the Golden Village cinema taking about 35 movie-goers hostage.

They barged into cinema hall 1 as a movie played, firing blanks at the ceiling, and yelling: “Get down and shut up!”

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, "terrorists" kill one hostage and strap an improvised explosive device on another. ST VIDEO: DANSON CHEONG

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, "terrorists" strap a suicide vest onto a "hostage". ST VIDEO: DANSON CHEONG

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, the SAF's Special Operations Task Force troopers neutralize the terrorist threat quickly and identify the hostage strapped with the suicide vest.

In an anti-terror exercise at Golden Village Tampines, a suicide vest gets detonated by SAF's chemical, biological, radiological and explosives engineers. ST VIDEO: DANSON CHEONG

They commanded hostages to take pictures and post them on social media. To let the hostages know they were not joking, they picked a man at random and shot him in front of the crowd.

"All of you better cooperate with us, or I will make sure you suffer and die," said one of the terrorists.

Later, one of the hostages was strapped with a suicide vest as he cried for help.


Said one of the terrorists: "We are ready to die, are you?"

This was when the SAF’s Special Operations Task Force (SOTF) was called in. The SOTF officers ended the siege in a flash. Armed with night-vision goggles, they fired blanks from their HK-416 assault rifles and P-90 submachine guns in the darkness, quickly neutralising the terrorists.

By the time the lights came on seconds later, all but one of the terrorists were dead. The one remaining terrorist rose to take a potshot at an officer as the team checked the aisles, but he too was quickly dispatched.

"Everyone listen up, we are from the Singapore Armed Forces, we are here to rescue you," said one of the officers to the hostages.

Outside the cinema, police officers formed a security cordon - the exercise was meant to test coordination between different agencies.

The moviegoers, played by SAF servicemen, were swiftly marched out with their hands on their heads, while the hostage who had explosives strapped onto him had the suicide vest removed.
It was later "detonated" in a controlled explosion inside the cinema hall, after the SOTF officers and hostages had left.


By then, SCDF officers have arrived on the scene at Tampines Mall to tend to the wounded. Those inside the mall were quickly brought to the first aid point outside, where a medical support vehicle, or mobile hospital, was waiting to tend to those with serious injuries.

Community responders trained in CPR and first aid had also been activated to tend to the injured and help perform triage.

One of them was accountant, Madam Rama Diwakar, who was helping bandage the wounded outside the malls. Speaking to The Straits Times after the exercise, Madam Rama, 45, said: “This is really very realistic. We’ve learnt how to treat patients without losing our cool.”

In another exercise, four gunmen blazed their way into Junction 8 Shopping Centre in a surprise attack just before 1am on Tuesday (Oct 18).

SAF and police personnel were put to the test with a "cold start" exercise at the Bishan mall, where they reacted to an active shooter scenario unrehearsed.

Pops of gunfire and cries for help from "shoppers" could be heard from outside Junction 8 when police officers arrived on the scene.

The Emergency Response Team officers, specially trained in counter-assault skills and armed with HK-MP 5 submachine guns, moved in tight formation as they entered the mall to neutralise the attackers.


In the second wave of response, the Army Deployment Force (ADF), a new rapid response unit set up by the SAF in July, showcased its operational readiness in its first deployment exercise.

A "gunman" kills a hostage before being taken out by Army Deployment Force (ADF) soldiers. Video: Tiffany Fumiko Tay

Arriving on the scene in Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicles, soldiers set up a cordon around the perimeter of the mall to contain the shooters.

Meanwhile, SOTF officers spilled out of unmarked vans, entering the building through a staircase at the mall's loading bay.

Among the escaping shoppers were three "sleeper" gunmen, who were quickly identified and "killed" by ground forces.

By about 2.20am, with the smell of smoke heavy in the air, all seven gunmen had been neutralised.

In the last part of the operation, officers from the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority would go on to nab a “terrorist” attempting to flee the country.

Article and Video Source: Straits Times


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My thoughts on the Counter-Terror Exercise:

• This Exercise is probably as realistic as anyone can practically get without firing any real ammo, and disrupting daily life.

• Keyboard warriors / "Haters" will most likely disparage the entire Exercise as a "wayang" (show) and say things like "it's so staged", "terrorist will not be so stupid" blah blah blah. Whatever lah you morons...you fail to see the larger exercise objective(s) beyond the obvious.

• Without discounting the seriousness and inherent value of such an Exercise, for those who are Counter-Strike fans and happened to be involved in the Exercise, the whole thing was probably one huge wet-dream. I mean - how often do you get to play out hostage scenarios in public places and fire off your weapon, even if it was only blanks?

• A shit-load of Blanks were fired. And a lot of dirty weapons will have to be maintained and cleaned before being sent to the armskote. I can imagine the hours that will be spent cleaning, digging, brushing. Fingers will be oily, dirty and cramping. But I think the exercise troops will think it's worth it. 

• As what other terror attacks like the Boston Marathon Bombing had shown, having a rapid and well-coordinated emergency response will significantly reduce fatalities. While it would seem from media reports that our public Hospitals are not actively involved in this exercise, they do conduct their own mass-casualty exercises (such as Exercise Kingfisher and Exercise Northstar) to test and strengthen their capabilities and management processes when faced with a sudden surge in casualty numbers.

Read more here:

• RAND Corporation - The Lessons of Mumbai (Terror attacks)

Note: The RAND report gives a chilling account of what happened during the Mumbai Terror attacks and looks in the tactics used by the terrorist. I would say that this is the nightmare scenario that haunts our security agencies. The Mumbai Terrorists did not attack any "hard" targets. Instead they went after "soft" targets such as hotels and train stations, all public places which had little or no security and had crowds of people around.

• Medscape - World Class Emergency Response in Boston Marathon Bombing

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[Defending the Lion City] S'pore's biggest anti-terror exercise kicks off

More than 3,200 personnel from police and military units, as well as over 50 volunteers from the People’s Association Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Civil Defence Lionhearters are part of the exercise. Pic: Various sources

TODAY, By Wong Pei Ting, Published: 4:19 PM, October 17, 2016

SINGAPORE — Don’t be alarmed if you see policemen, immigration officers or army personnel out in full force at shopping malls or MRT stations on Monday (Oct 17), or if you hear gunshots late in the night.

On Monday morning, the Republic kicked off its largest counter-terrorism exercise, which will conclude at 4am on Tuesday. It will test and validate Singapore’s multi-agency response plan in the event of terrorist attacks.

Led by the Singapore Police Force (SPF), more than 3,200 personnel from the Home Team and the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) as well as over 50 volunteers from the People’s Association Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) and Civil Defence Lionhearters will be part of the exercise.

Conducted in two phases, the first phase simulates a situation of heightened alert, after Singapore receives information and intelligence threats pointing to an imminent attack on the country.

Shortly after the alert was received at 10am, Home Team and SAF personnel were dispatched at over 360 locations for land and border security patrols. Places where members of the public will see a heightened security measures include public transport nodes, commercial areas, residential heartlands and Tuas and Woodlands checkpoints.

Concurrently, the SAF started conducting refresher drills – also called “just in time” training – with its Island Defence Task Force (IDTF). These include weapon, baton and search-and-arrest drills. The men are also briefed of the rules of engagement when dealing with a suicide bomber or active shooter.

Notably, the SAF’s Peacekeeper Protected Response Vehicle (PRV) was deployed alongside a Police Fast Response Car (FRC) at the Marina Bay Financial Centre for deterrence and as part of stepped up security measures late on Monday afternoon.

Phase 2, which will take place later on Monday night, involves a response to multiple terror situations unfolding at different locations at 10pm, when blanks, thunder flashes, and smoke simulators will be used.

To facilitate the conduct of the exercise, cordons will be set up within the exercise venues. Also, Tampines Central 5 and Bishan Place roads will be closed to all vehicular traffic, except authorised SPF, SAF and emergency vehicles.

Parking restrictions along the peripheral roads will be strictly enforced, said the police, so vehicles parked indiscriminately or causing obstruction will be towed away.

Pic: TODAY

The SAF’s IDTF was established in 2001 when SAF soldiers were deployed to protect vital installations around Singapore to boost national security after the Sept 11 attacks in the US. Under this task force, soldiers from the SAF work closely with Home Team agencies such as SPF, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to protect key installations.

Pic: Channel News Asia

The SAF units activated for the joint patrols for Monday’s exercise are the 4th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (4 SIR), 5th Battalion, Singapore Infantry Regiment (5 SIR), and 41st Battalion, Singapore Armoured Regiment (41 SAR). The soldiers comprise both full-time national servicemen and regular servicemen. They are equipped with the integrated Load Bearing Vest (iLBV) with ballistic protection and helmet, an SAR 21 Assault Rifle, a Military Security Armband, a flexicuff, a baton torch, and communications equipment.

Article Source: TODAY


Click below to learn more about SG Secure

• SG Secure

• SAF Facebook page

• SPF Facebook page

• Or search HashTags:  #StayAlert #StayUnited #StayStrong #SGSecure

• Straits Times - SG Secure news articles

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ADVISORY ON MULTI-AGENCY ISLANDWIDE COUNTER-TERRORISM EXERCISE

Source: SPF Facebook page

The Singapore Police Force (SPF), supported by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA), the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) and the People’s Association (PA) will be conducting an islandwide counter-terrorism exercise from 17 to 18 October 2016.

This exercise is part of ongoing efforts by the Home Team and SAF to test and validate Singapore’s multi-agency response plan in the event of terrorist attacks. The exercise also serves to raise public awareness on the current threat landscape and encourage continued vigilance from members of the public.

The exercise will be conducted in two phases:

Phase 1: From 10am to 10pm on 17 October 2016
Phase 2: From 10pm on 17 October 2016 to 4am on 18 October 2016

In Phase 1, officers from the SPF and the SAF will be conducting joint patrols at public places such as MRT stations and bus interchanges, while officers from the ICA and the SAF will be conducting joint patrols at the land checkpoints. Members of the public can expect a heightened visibility of SPF, ICA and SAF officers during the exercise.

In Phase 2, blanks, thunder flashes, and smoke simulators will be used at various locations. Members of the public are advised not to be alarmed. ‘Exercise-In-Progress’ signage will be placed prominently at exercise venues throughout the exercise. To facilitate the conduct of the exercise, cordons will be set up within the exercise venues.

During the exercise, the following roads will be closed to all vehicular traffic, except authorised SPF, SAF and emergency vehicles from 11pm on 17 October 2016 to 4am on 18 October 2016:

1. Tampines Central 5
2. Bishan Place

Parking restrictions along the peripheral roads will be strictly enforced. Vehicles parked indiscriminately or causing obstruction will be towed away.

Members of the public may call the Police Hotline at 1800-255-0000 if they have further queries.

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[Defending the Lion City] SCDF fights huge fire at CK Building at Tampines

A fire broke out at around 1.30pm on Wednesday (17 Aug) at the CK Building at Tampines St 92. 

The SCDF dispatched 110 officers and 27 emergency vehicles, including fire engines, support vehicles and ambulances to fight the blaze. 

Major fire-fighting operations ended at about 6am on Thursday (18 Aug).

To all the brave Firemen and Home Team personnel, both Regulars and NSFs, thank you so much for your bravery and for your service in protecting Singapore.

Read more here:

SCDF Facebook Posts on CK Building Fire

https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage/videos/10153637768795583

https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage/posts/10153637896835583

https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage/posts/10153638732720583

https://www.facebook.com/SCDFpage/posts/10153639086960583

Channel News Asia: CK Building blaze under control; largest industrial estate fire this year: SCDF

TODAY: Huge fire breaks out at CK Building in Tampines