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Lieutenant-Colonel (LTC) Jennyline Fan left a deep impression on her teammates when she commandeered her team as part of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) operations during the Formula One (F1) Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2022.
“LTC Fan was always the first to arrive and last to leave each race day,” says Lieutenant (LTA) Benjamin Tan, a rota commander who was reporting to her then.
LTC Fan’s resolute vigilance not only spoke volumes about her leadership style but also reflected a little-known hallmark of the SCDF. She and her officers may be highly visible on the streets, thanks to their boldly coloured vehicles and uniforms, but much of their work takes place behind the scenes.
“We are completely invisible for many major contingency deployments SCDF is involved in,” says the 35-year-old, who received the Local Merit Scholarship under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Uniformed Scholarship scheme in 2008.
Stationed out of sight from spectators, the SCDF was on duty at the three-day F1 event for over 12 hours daily. However, planning had already begun months earlier.
“I wanted a job that combined hands-on experiences with meaningful work, and where I could pick up life-saving skills and help others in need.”
– Lieutenant-Colonel Jennyline Fan, recipient of the MHA Uniformed Scholarship (SCDF)
To prepare for worst-case scenarios, LTC Fan studied the racetrack and diligently planned for contingencies in the areas she was in charge of. She and her team knew the best entry and exit routes like the back of their hands.
“The groundwork has to start early,” explains LTC Fan. “We have to get very familiar with the area so we can quickly respond to emergencies.”
LTC Fan has been involved in F1 since 2016 in different capacities, but she and her team have also been deployed at other international events.
These include the Shangri-La Dialogue held by the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), where several SCDF units worked with other Home Team agencies to keep foreign dignitaries and diplomats safe.
Next month, she will be part of the Home Team safeguarding the National Day Parade 2024 at the Padang and Promontory @ Marina Bay.
She balances these assignments with her day job as Sentosa Fire Station’s first female commander, a role she took up in April 2022.
“Apart from responding to fire and rescue incidents on Sentosa Island, I also work closely with related agencies such as Sentosa Development Corporation for joint operational exercises,” she adds.
This unconventional career path was what LTC Fan had been searching for after completing her A levels.
“I wanted a job that combined hands-on experiences with meaningful work, and where I could pick up life-saving skills and help others in need,” says the MHA scholar, who studied chemistry at the National University of Singapore.
One unforgettable experience was attending the rota commander course at the Civil Defence Academy in 2012.
As part of the gruelling seven-month physical training, she had to put on 23kg of personal gear and haul additional firefighting equipment up 10 storeys.
For her role as a rota commander, she also learnt how to use scientific methods to investigate the causes of fires and apply her science background to understand how different chemicals interact.
In 2013, she joined Tampines Fire Station’s team of veterans as a full-time rota commander.
“Having to earn their respect as a new leader was a challenge,” says LTC Fan. “Thankfully, my deputy rota commander was a knowledgeable and experienced officer who helped me ease into the role.”
Since then, LTC Fan’s career has taken her to many places.
After one-and-a-half years as a rota commander, she was posted to the operations department at the SCDF Headquarters where she handled operations-related projects. Some of these included developing the Fire Medical Vehicle and exploring the use of drones for SCDF’s operations.
In 2019, she completed a stint at the 1st SCDF Division Headquarters as an operations readiness officer where she helped ensure the personnel and emergency vehicles at the division’s fire stations were always ready to respond.
| Breaking barriers Before she took up the MHA scholarship, LTC Fan was worried about being a female SCDF officer. “What I experienced, however, was that everyone in the organisation was treated equally and provided with fair chances and opportunities,” says LTC Fan. She also found that while the physical intensity was tough, it was not impossible to overcome; she could manage it despite her 1.63m frame. With progressive training and regular workouts, women can carry their personal gear as capably as men, she adds. SCDF officers are also trained to use new technologies, such as unmanned firefighting machines, to enhance operations. Therefore, the ability to develop tactical options, regardless of gender, is just as crucial as one’s physical fitness. |
LTC Fan also had the opportunity to be seconded to MHA as an assistant director before she took on the role in Sentosa.
“I appreciated the MHA posting as I got the chance to collaborate with other Home Team departments on various regulatory policies, such as SCDF’s fire safety regulation policies to keep buildings safe, among others,” she says.
As the commander of Sentosa Fire Station, LTC Fan also makes it a priority to invest in officers under her care and help them grow.
For instance, she holds one-on-one sessions to engage regular staff to understand their career aspirations and help them chart their path forward. She also connects personally with the full-time national servicemen posted there, aiming to foster a sense of belonging to the fire station and SCDF during their stint.
“It is challenging but fulfilling,” she says. “When you help someone achieve a goal, you feel a sense of accomplishment.”
Speaking about his time as a new officer in LTC Fan’s team, LTA Tan says: “Despite her seniority, she made it a point to ensure that everyone at the station felt comfortable expressing their thoughts and concerns.
“Her office was always open and she welcomed anyone, despite her busy schedule, to share their troubles or thoughts beyond work-related matters.”
Her efforts may largely go unseen by the public, but to those working with her, LTC Fan’s leadership and influence cannot be missed.
| About the MHA Uniformed Scholarship The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Uniformed Scholarship is offered to highly motivated individuals who are passionate about safeguarding the safety and security of our nation. Depending on your interests and aspirations, this scholarship will allow you to kick-start your leadership journey as a uniformed officer in one of the five Home Team departments: Singapore Police Force (SPF), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Singapore Prison Service (SPS), Central Narcotics Bureau (CNB) or as a paramedic with SCDF. Before you join as a Guardian of our Home, you will receive the opportunity to pursue your undergraduate studies at a prestigious local or overseas university. Upon graduation, you can look forward to learning and development opportunities to equip you as a future leader in the Home Team. |
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This article is brought to you by the Singapore Civil Defence Force.