To use all functions of this page, please activate cookies in your browser.
My watch list
my.bionity.com
my.bionity.com
With an accout for my.bionity.com you can always see everything at a glance – and you can configure your own website and individual newsletter.
- My watch list
- My saved searches
- My saved topics
- My newsletter
St. John Ambulance in Singapore
St John Ambulance Singapore is a voluntary organisation in Singapore which provides training in First Aid and Home Nursing. Its members also perform voluntary first aid coverage duties during national events. The headquarters is located at 420 Beach Road. It was opened on July 23 1960 by the late President of Singapore, Yusof bin Ishak. Additional recommended knowledge
History of St John Ambulance in Singapore
Read more at [1] StructureThe St John Ambulance Singapore comes under the command of the National St John Council with the following appointments:
Apart from promoting and assisting St. John Ambulance Association & Brigade as well as to raise the necessary funds to support their work, the main objects of the Council, are briefly as follows: 1. To promote and encourage all works of humanity and charity for the relief of distress, suffering, sickness and danger without any distinction as to race, class or creed, and the extension of the great principles of the Order of St John embodied in its mottoes "for the Faith" and "For the Service of Mankind". In June 1978, the Brigade was reorganised and upgraded to National Headquarters level with the following appointments:
This brought our organisation status at par with St. John Ambulance organisations in other independent nations. The Brigade was structured into 4 Districts and 10 Areas. In 1996, the Brigade was again re-structured. The District level was removed, and the Brigade became simply structured into 10 Zones. St John Ambulance is a ranked organisation, and members fall into a hierarchical structure of command. St. John Ambulance ranks run from Member, through Corporals, Sergeants and Officers all the way up to the Chief Commissioner. However,it is difficult to equate the rank structure to equivalent ranks in other military/paramilitary organisations. Cadet Movement
St John Ambulance in Singapore largely consists of cadet members - i.e. secondary school students who joined St John as their CCA. Currently, the various schools under the 10 Zones are as follows: Zone 1 (Zone Commissioner: Ms Nancy Low Bee Lian, CMSJ)
Zone 2 (Zone Commissioner: Mr David Cheng, S.B.St.J.)
Zone 3 (Zone Commissioner: Mr Derek Tan)
Zone 4 (Zone Commissioner: Mr Eric Koh Siak Hong, PK, S.B.St.J.)
Zone 5 (Zone Commissioner: Mr Frederick Lim Yew Soon)
Zone 6 (Zone Commissioner: Mr Eric Lee, S.B.St.J.)
Zone 7 (Zone Commissioner: Mr Kuo Keng Huat, S.B.St.J.)
Zone 8 (Zone Commissioner: Mr Kwa Chee Kien)
Zone 9 (Zone Commissioner: Mr Yong Cheng Thye, S.B.St.J.)
Zone 10 (Zone Commissioner: Ms Wendy Neo Lay Cheng, S.S.St.J.)
As St John the Baptist Day, June 24 normally falls during the Singapore School Holidays, St John Cadets observe St John Ambulance Brigade Day on the first Wednesday after school reopens. On that day, all St John Ambulance Brigade members in schools will report to school in Brigade Uniform, and the St John Day Message by the Chief Commissioner will be read out by the Principal or a student leader. On that day, St John members reaffirm their loyalty to the Republic of Singapore and affirm their commitment to the mottoes of the Order, 'For the Faith' and 'For the Service of Mankind'. Typically, St John cadets in Singapore learn First Aid, Home Nursing, Transportation of Casualties and footdrill as part of their core syllabus. They also have the opportunity to go on other enrichment activities such as camping trips where they can earn proficiency badges[2]. Outstanding members may also vie for the prestigious Chief Commissioner's Badge, which is only attainable after obtaining 12 proficiency badges according to a set of strict criteria. Annual First Aid and Home Nursing CompetitionAn annual first-aid-competition among schools is held in each of the 10 zones. There are 4 categories to the competition. The champions of each category go on to represent their Zone in the Inter-Zone First Aid Competition.
Past Champions 2007 Annual Inter-Zone First Aid & Home Nursing Competition Ambulance Adult Champion: Hwa Chong Institution (High School) (Zone 7) Ambulance Adult Runners Up: Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) (Zone 4) Ambulance Cadet Champion: Anglican High School (Zone 2) Ambulance Cadet Runners Up: Hwa Chong Institution (High School) (Zone 7) Nursing Adult Champion: Anglican High School (Zone 2) Nursing Adult Runners Up: Hai Sing Catholic School (Zone 10) Nursing Cadet Champion: Anglican High School (Zone 2) Nursing Cadet Runners Up: Peirce Secondary School (Zone 1) 2007 Zone 1 Nursing Adult: CHIJ St Nicholas' Girls School 2007 Zone 2 Nursing Adult: Anglican High School Nursing Cadet: Anglican High School Ambulance Cadet: Anglican High School Ambulance Adult: Anglican High School 2007 Zone 3 Nursing Adult: MacPherson Secondary School Nursing Cadet: MacPherson Secondary School Ambulance Cadet: Anderson Secondary School Ambulance Adult: St. Joseph Institution 2007 Zone 4 Ambulance Cadet: Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) Ambulance Adult: Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) 2007 Zone 5 Ambulance Cadet: Zhonghua sec. Nursing Cadet: Zhonghua sec 2007 Zone 7 Ambulance Cadet: Hwa Chong Institution (High School) Ambulance Adult: Hwa Chong Institution (High School) Nursing Cadet: Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary School Nursing Adult: Nan Hua High School (later transferred participation rights in Inter-Zone competition to Xinmin Secondary School) 2007 Zone 8 Ambulance Cadet: Dunman High School Ambulance Adult: Dunman High School Nursing Cadet: East View Secondary School Nursing Adult: Dunman High School
Nursing Adult: Hai Sing Catholic School Nursing Cadet: Hai Sing Catholic School Ambulance Cadet: Hai Sing Catholic School Ambulance Adult: Maris Stella High School UniformThe present uniform consists of a white top and black bottom for all members of the Brigade,. For the Cadet and Adult members' headdress, a black beret bearing either the Cadet or the Adult cap badge is worn. Nursing (female) members are also encouraged to wear hairnets, especially during major parades. The top consists of a white sleeved shirt/blouse with silver buttons bearing the SJAB crest. Shoulder flashes bearing the Maltese Cross are worn on both sleeves. Epaulettes bearing the Cadet/Adult members' rank are worn on the shoulders. The bottom consists of black pants for Ambulance (Male) members and black culottes for Nursing (Female) members. Black socks are to be worn all the way up for Ambulance members, and 3cm from the ankle for Nursing members. The toe caps, sides and back of the leather boots are usually expected to be polished and brushed shine. Officers and Sergeants-Major have altogether 4 different uniforms:
- A bush jacket with 4 big silver buttons in front, with epulattes and metal rank insignias for both the men and the ladies. (Sergeants-Major wear embroided slot-in epulattes) - Peaked cap or round hat with Officer Cap Badge
- Same uniform as for members except that collar badges and Officer shoulder flash are worn. - Beret with Officer cap badge.
- No headdress is worn. - A wing-collared shirt with maroon bow-tie for the men. - Tuxedo jacket with miniature medals and rank insignias is worn.
- For the men, a long-sleeved version of the safari jacket which is meant to be worn on top of a shirt and tie. - For the ladies, a long sleeved version of the safari uniform. - Senior lady officers also have a gray dress but this uniform is seldom seen nowadays. Besides rank insignias, Senior Officers are distinguished by different cap badges and embellishments. In addition, Officers Grades 2 and above are entitled to wear gorget patches.
RanksThroughout their secondary education, cadets are awarded ranks as follows:
Upon completing their secondary education, ex-cadets may continue their service to the Brigade. Some choose to just return as friends of the school and conduct training for their juniors, while others undergo further formal training to prepare themselves to be appointed as Brigade Officers. Brigade Officers hold ranks at Corps, Zone or National Headquarters level, and these ranks are further divided into Grades 6 through 1 (Grade 1 being the most senior). The most senior Brigade Officers hold ranks of Super Grade 4 through 1. Description of Rank Structure
All ranks are worn on the shoulder board. All badges are made of White Metal against a black background. (This list is not exhaustive.)
Cadet Proficiency Badge SchemeThe objective of the Cadet Proficiency Badge Scheme is to encourage cadet members to take an interest in subjects outside their normal curriculum and to widen their interests by carrying out these activities in their leisure time. Such activities may also be organized by their respective Corps/Zones. Certain activities are also organized by the NHQ. The proficiency badges are divided into 4 groups as follow: Group 1 : Welfare and Service
Group 2 : Outdoor Activities
Group 3 : Crafts and Hobbies
Group 4 : General
Achievement Badges
Upon participation in any of the following activities: - Youth Day Parade - Brigade Camp (National Level) - Inter-Zone(i.e. National) First Aid and Home Nursing Competition - Uniformed Groups Heritage Trail
Upon obtaining 4 proficiency badges from each of the four categories (excluding the Knowledge of The Order) and the National Activity Badge.
Upon obtaining 6 proficiency badges(at least one from each category + the Knowledge of The Order) and meeting the following criteria: - Passed a minimum of 4 subjects before transfer - Must not be above 20 years of age on the date of qualifying for the badge
Upon obtaining 12 proficiency badges(at least two from Category I & II, no more than two from Category III + Knowledge of The Order) and meeting the following criteria: - Passed a minimum of 4 subjects before transfer - Must not be above 20 years of age on the date of qualifying for the badge Cadets may start working for these badges the moment they are enrolled as members of the St John Ambulance Brigade. They are encouraged to make personal progress with additional courses over and above subjects that are taught during the weekly training/meetings so as to achieve the Commissioner's Badge and subsequently the Chief Commissioner's Badge. In 2005, the policy on wearing of achievement badges was revised to allow members to continue wearing the Chief Commissioner Badge even after they are promoted to an officer. Awards and Commendations
Officers and Members of the Brigade are eligible for the following Awards and Commendations: Local Awards
International (Order) Awards
The grades of the Order are numbered 1 through 6, however this is not to be confused with the grading of Brigade Officers. The highest grade in the Order, G.C.St.J. is limited only to the Great Officers of the Order and 21 other individuals. The lowest grade in the Order, Esq.St.J. is for Personal Esquires for K.St.J. and above who probably play a role similar to that of an Aide-de-Camp. The allotment is as follows: 2 Personal Esquires for Knights of Justice and above, and 1 Personal Esquire for Knights of Grace. No Personal Esquires have been appointed in Singapore. Past Leaders
Commissioner, St John Ambulance Brigade
Chief Commissioner, St John Ambulance Brigade
ControversiesThere are sometimes miscommunication and lack of understanding of matters that have resulted in disputes; for example in the area of Public Duties and allocation of ambulances. See external [3] for more details. However, the incident reported in the link is disputed as it appears to be a 3rd party account, and no further details is given by the author. As such, its factuality can be disputed. SJAB Singapore has also seen its profile decline in recent years, despite the numerous natural disasters that has hit the region since 2004, the only visible relief effort it took on was the low key asking of donation to its Sri Lankan counterparts during the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami. This compares starkly to SJAB's gathering of aid for Taiwan's major earthquake in the 1990s. In a feature on CPR by Singapore's Sunday Times, SJAB was not mentioned throughout the multi-page writeup, perhaps signalling its declining public profile. Various commercial outfits have managed to offer the same accredition previously available only from SJA and Red Cross. See also
Sources
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "St._John_Ambulance_in_Singapore". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
