Families support and inspire new batch of SCDF senior officers
One was the oldest of her cohort in the Rota Commander Course, another is following in his father's footsteps
She was initially hesitant to participate in the Rota Commander Course (RCC) offered by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) as it meant she would be spending less time with her family for five months.
However, newly minted senior officer Gangadevi Rountan decided to take up the challenge with support from her two daughters, aged nine and 11, who promised her that they would behave themselves and study hard without her supervision.
Her husband, who is also an SCDF officer, stepped up and "became the father and the mother" for the duration of the leadership training programme.
Sharing that she met him when she first joined the SCDF 14 years ago, Ms Gangadevi, 34, told The New Paper: "My idea of a family is one that is understanding and can make informed decisions together, and it has been a memorable five months with their encouragement and support."
On June 30, Ms Gangadevi and 40 other officer cadets officially passed out of the 23rd RCC, and most will be posted to different fire stations to lead up to 30 SCDF officers tackling front-line incidents.
After working for 10 years as a hazmat specialist and more than four years as an instructor, Ms Gangadevi was the oldest of her cohort.
Although she had concerns about her age and fitness level, she said the course helped her lose 11kg and reach her physical peak.
Also completing the course and eager to do more for the SCDF family is Mr Muhammad Naufal Sulaiman, a full-time national serviceman and son of retired SCDF warrant officer Sulaiman Mohamad.
Following in his father's footsteps, the 22-year-old, who was posted to Tampines Fire Station as an NSF section commander, had always wanted to take on a front-line role that could help people and save lives.
Mr Naufal told TNP: "Seeing my father enjoy his career and progression made me want to join SCDF, so I indicated it as my first interest when I enlisted for national service, and I was fortunate to be selected."
Another memorable event that cemented Mr Naufal's sense of belonging in the outfit was receiving the SCDF Education Award, which recognises the academic success of children of SCDF officers, in primary school.
CHALLENGES
But having an SCDF officer dad posed challenges too.
Recalling the harder days of his training, Mr Naufal said: "A lot of the officers in the RCC knew my dad, and they had high expectations of me, thinking I would know more from my dad.
"Sometimes I couldn't meet all the expectations, but I am proud of myself for completing the course."
Although he will surpass the highest rank his father held once he becomes a senior officer, Mr Naufal said he will always respect his dad's work.
"His knowledge, his experiences... I still have a lot to learn," he said.
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