{"id":27940,"date":"2023-04-25T12:00:32","date_gmt":"2023-04-25T04:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/?p=27940"},"modified":"2023-04-25T12:53:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-25T04:53:44","slug":"how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/","title":{"rendered":"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

TEXT & PHOTOS: SINGAPORE CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Like many other Singaporean males, SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin enlisted for National Service (NS)<\/a> when he was 18. \u201cInitially, I did not see the importance of serving NS \u2014 and I must admit that I was not the most enthusiastic in training,\u201d says Zainal, 30, recalling his experience as a full-time National Serviceman (NSF) with SCDF.<\/p>

But SGT1 (NS) Zainal then experienced a turning point that would shape a life-long passion<\/a>. \u201cOne day, my fire station crew and I were instructed to help out during a suicide attempt,\u201d he recounts. \u201cWhen we arrived at the scene, we were tasked to set up the life pack as quickly as we could. As I was not very serious during my training, I struggled to keep up with my colleagues when handling the equipment. Yet there I was, caught in a situation where a life was at stake. Fortunately, it was a team effort and my personal shortcomings did not adversely affect the operations.\u201d<\/p>

Realising that he could have done more to support his team, SGT1 (NS) Zainal resolved to focus on his NS training and learn as much as possible from veteran SCDF career officers. \u201cAfter the incident, I realised how self-centred and immature I was,\u201d concedes SGT1 (NS) Zainal. \u201cI decided to put in my utmost effort to do my best in NS. Ever since then, my passion for saving lives has continued to grow.\u201d<\/p>

After completing his full-time NS stint in 2014, SGT1 (NS) Zainal went on to work as a technician and obtained a diploma in aerospace engineering. He is currently pursuing a degree in psychology. Over the years, he has developed a passion for lifesaving, which led him to join the SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU) as a fire and rescue specialist at Bishan Fire Station. \u201cJoining the CDAU was a great milestone in my life. Lifesaving is a noble endeavour and I believe this is something that my son will be proud of,\u201d asserts the father of a 6-year-old.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

FIGHTING THE PULAU BUSING INFERNO<\/strong><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

His son would certainly be able to regale friends with tales of his father\u2019s heroic acts. On the evening of 20 March 2018, SGT1 (NS) Zainal and his crew were alerted to an oil storage tank fire at Pulau Busing. From where he stood, kilometres away from the island off Singapore\u2019s southwestern coast, SGT1 (NS) Zainal could see raging fire and clouds of thick black smoke.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"SCDF\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
SCDF personnel fighting the oil storage tank fire at Pulau Busing.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\u201cThe fire was burning on a massive scale when we approached the site in our fire engines onboard a vessel,\u201d says SGT1 (NS) Zainal. \u201cThis reminded me of the stories that some SCDF career officers shared from their experience fighting a pumphouse fire at Pulau Bukom years ago. The Bukom pumphouse fire was so intense that one of our emergency appliances was partially burnt.\u201d Bearing that in mind when setting up the ground monitor this time round, SGT1 (NS) Zainal was careful to maintain a safe distance from the raging fire and constantly check on the wind direction to ensure safety.<\/p>

A total of 31 firefighting and support vehicles, 128 SCDF personnel and Company Emergency Response Team members along with the Police Coast Guard, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Republic of Singapore Navy and the National Environment Agency were involved in the highly challenging six-hour operation at Pulau Busing. \u201cWhen the Pulau Busing fire was ultimately extinguished around midnight, my crew and I had to stay behind to monitor the site until 8am the next morning,\u201d notes SGT1 (NS) Zainal. \u201cAs there were about five of us in my section, we took turns to monitor the site every two hours to ensure that the area remained safe. Such precautions are necessary because re-ignition can happen in oil storage tank fires.\u201d<\/p>

Despite the lack of sleep after the arduous firefighting mission, SGT1 (NS) Zainal managed to stay alert during the long hours of standby duty. \u201cWhat I have learnt from my experiences as an NSF and a CDAU officer, is that we must never take Singapore\u2019s safety for granted,\u201d he cautions. \u201cEvery time I put on my firefighting bunker gear and lift the rescue equipment, I am carrying not just a heavy physical load but also the weight of responsibility.\u201d<\/p>

Today, SGT1 (NS) Zainal passionately imparts his rescue and firefighting knowledge and skills to NSFs at Bishan Fire Station. He always reminds them to take their NS seriously \u2013 they are, after all, young men entrusted with a noble mission of safeguarding the lives and property of others.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Like our stories? Subscribe to our Frontline Digital newsletters now! Simply download the\u00a0HomeTeamNS Mobile App<\/a>\u00a0and update your communication preference to \u2018Receive Digital Frontline Magazine\u2019, through the app settings.<\/em><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit. TEXT & PHOTOS: SINGAPORE CIVIL DEFENCE FORCE Like many other Singaporean males, SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin enlisted for National Service (NS) when he was 18. \u201cInitially, I did not see the importance of serving NS \u2014 and I must admit that I was not the most enthusiastic in training,\u201d says Zainal, 30, recalling his experience as a full-time National Serviceman (NSF) with SCDF. But SGT1 (NS) Zainal then experienced a turning point that would shape a life-long passion. \u201cOne day, my fire station crew and I were instructed to help out during a suicide attempt,\u201d he recounts. \u201cWhen we arrived at the scene, we were tasked to set up the life pack as quickly as we could. As I was not very serious during my training, I struggled to keep up with my colleagues when handling the equipment. Yet there I was, caught in a situation where a life was at stake. Fortunately, it was a team effort and my personal shortcomings did not adversely affect the operations.\u201d Realising that he could have done more to support his team, SGT1 (NS) Zainal resolved to focus on his NS training and learn as much as possible from veteran SCDF career officers. \u201cAfter the incident, I realised how self-centred and immature I was,\u201d concedes SGT1 (NS) Zainal. \u201cI decided to put in my utmost effort to do my best in NS. Ever since then, my passion for saving lives has continued to grow.\u201d After completing his full-time NS stint in 2014, SGT1 (NS) Zainal went on to work as a technician and obtained a diploma in aerospace engineering. He is currently pursuing a degree in psychology. Over the years, he has developed a passion for lifesaving, which led him to join the SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU) as a fire and rescue specialist at Bishan Fire Station. \u201cJoining the CDAU was a great milestone in my life. Lifesaving is a noble endeavour and I believe this is something that my son will be proud of,\u201d asserts the father of a 6-year-old. FIGHTING THE PULAU BUSING INFERNO His son would certainly be able to regale friends with tales of his father\u2019s heroic acts. On the evening of 20 March 2018, SGT1 (NS) Zainal and his crew were alerted to an oil storage tank fire at Pulau Busing. From where he stood, kilometres away from the island off Singapore\u2019s southwestern coast, SGT1 (NS) Zainal could see raging fire and clouds of thick black smoke. SCDF personnel fighting the oil storage tank fire at Pulau Busing. \u201cThe fire was burning on a massive scale when we approached the site in our fire engines onboard a vessel,\u201d says SGT1 (NS) Zainal. \u201cThis reminded me of the stories that some SCDF career officers shared from their experience fighting a pumphouse fire at Pulau Bukom years ago. The Bukom pumphouse fire was so intense that one of our emergency appliances was partially burnt.\u201d Bearing that in mind when setting up the ground monitor this time round, SGT1 (NS) Zainal was careful to maintain a safe distance from the raging fire and constantly check on the wind direction to ensure safety. A total of 31 firefighting and support vehicles, 128 SCDF personnel and Company Emergency Response Team members along with the Police Coast Guard, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Republic of Singapore Navy and the National Environment Agency were involved in the highly challenging six-hour operation at Pulau Busing. \u201cWhen the Pulau Busing fire was ultimately extinguished around midnight, my crew and I had to stay behind to monitor the site until 8am the next morning,\u201d notes SGT1 (NS) Zainal. \u201cAs there were about five of us in my section, we took turns to monitor the site every two hours to ensure that the area remained safe. Such precautions are necessary because re-ignition can happen in oil storage tank fires.\u201d Despite the lack of sleep after the arduous firefighting mission, SGT1 (NS) Zainal managed to stay alert during the long hours of standby duty. \u201cWhat I have learnt from my experiences as an NSF and a CDAU officer, is that we must never take Singapore\u2019s safety for granted,\u201d he cautions. \u201cEvery time I put on my firefighting bunker gear and lift the rescue equipment, I am carrying not just a heavy physical load but also the weight of responsibility.\u201d Today, SGT1 (NS) Zainal passionately imparts his rescue and firefighting knowledge and skills to NSFs at Bishan Fire Station. He always reminds them to take their NS seriously \u2013 they are, after all, young men entrusted with a noble mission of safeguarding the lives and property of others. \u00a0 Like our stories? Subscribe to our Frontline Digital newsletters now! Simply download the\u00a0HomeTeamNS Mobile App\u00a0and update your communication preference to \u2018Receive Digital Frontline Magazine\u2019, through the app settings.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":27942,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27940","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-in-the-force"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow my National Service changed my views on lifesaving<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Frontline\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2023-04-25T04:00:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-04-25T04:53:44+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"800\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1071\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Ben\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Ben\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Ben\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/person\/a3363d31fb7b899fe058cd13293a57eb\"},\"headline\":\"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-25T04:00:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-25T04:53:44+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/\"},\"wordCount\":831,\"commentCount\":0,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"In The Force\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"CommentAction\",\"name\":\"Comment\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#respond\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/\",\"name\":\"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2023-04-25T04:00:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-04-25T04:53:44+00:00\",\"description\":\"A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg\",\"width\":800,\"height\":1071,\"caption\":\"SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin, a fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"In The Force\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/category\/in-the-force\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/\",\"name\":\"Frontline\",\"description\":\"The HomeTeamNS Magazine\",\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#organization\"},\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Organization\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#organization\",\"name\":\"Frontline\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/\",\"logo\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LOGO.png\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LOGO.png\",\"width\":346,\"height\":90,\"caption\":\"Frontline\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/\"}},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/person\/a3363d31fb7b899fe058cd13293a57eb\",\"name\":\"Ben\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd25ff03b432e669952a8cf3f522941d65bb650cb6722723cfcb94de5575cf0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd25ff03b432e669952a8cf3f522941d65bb650cb6722723cfcb94de5575cf0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Ben\"}}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving","description":"A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving","og_description":"A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.","og_url":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/","og_site_name":"Frontline","article_published_time":"2023-04-25T04:00:32+00:00","article_modified_time":"2023-04-25T04:53:44+00:00","og_image":[{"width":800,"height":1071,"url":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Ben","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Ben","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/"},"author":{"name":"Ben","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/person\/a3363d31fb7b899fe058cd13293a57eb"},"headline":"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving","datePublished":"2023-04-25T04:00:32+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-25T04:53:44+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/"},"wordCount":831,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#organization"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg","articleSection":["In The Force"],"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/","url":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/","name":"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage"},"thumbnailUrl":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg","datePublished":"2023-04-25T04:00:32+00:00","dateModified":"2023-04-25T04:53:44+00:00","description":"A harrowing encounter turned SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin from reluctant National Serviceman to passionate fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/"]}]},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/1.jpg","width":800,"height":1071,"caption":"SGT1 (NS) Muhammad Zainal Abidin, a fire and rescue specialist at SCDF\u2019s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit."},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/how-my-national-service-changed-my-views-on-lifesaving\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"In The Force","item":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/category\/in-the-force\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"How my National Service changed my views on lifesaving"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#website","url":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/","name":"Frontline","description":"The HomeTeamNS Magazine","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#organization","name":"Frontline","url":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LOGO.png","contentUrl":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/cropped-cropped-cropped-LOGO.png","width":346,"height":90,"caption":"Frontline"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/person\/a3363d31fb7b899fe058cd13293a57eb","name":"Ben","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd25ff03b432e669952a8cf3f522941d65bb650cb6722723cfcb94de5575cf0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2cd25ff03b432e669952a8cf3f522941d65bb650cb6722723cfcb94de5575cf0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Ben"}}]}},"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-04-23 12:35:54","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27940","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/14"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27940"}],"version-history":[{"count":54,"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28084,"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27940\/revisions\/28084"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27942"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpstaging.hometeamns.sg\/frontline\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}