Launch of ITE-CD Lionhearter Club

Synopsis

The Civil Defence (CD) Lionhearter Club comprises tertiary students trained in emergency preparedness and life saving skills. The role of CD Lionhearters is to provide assistance during on-campus incidents, to provide humanitarian assistance during overseas missions as well as to train the community in Life Saving skills.

97 students from ITE College East now form the second batch of CD Lionhearters. They received their Lionhearter badges from Mr Bruce Poh, CEO ITE and Mr Peter Lim, Commissioner of SCDF at a ceremony on Wednesday, 13 Oct 2010. The first CD Lionhearter Club was launched in Singapore Polytechnic in October 2009.

ADDRESS BY MR BRUCE POH GEOK HUAT, DIRECTOR & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER/ITE, AT THE ITE-CIVIL DEFENCE LIONHEARTER CLUB LAUNCH 2010 ON WEDNESDAY 13 OCTOBER 2010 AT 1130 HOURS AT FUNCTION HALL, ITE COLLEGE EAST

Commissioner Peter Lim Sin Pang, Singapore Civil Defence Force

Friends from Singapore Civil Defence Force, Colleagues and students of ITE

ITE-Civil Defence Lionhearters

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning and welcome to the ITE-Civil Defence Lionhearter Club Launch 2010.

Today, we celebrate the commissioning of ITE students as ‘Lionhearters’. These students have completed a series of training programmes with the Singapore Civil Defence Force, or SCDF, and are now ready to be more involved within the ITE community, as well as in the local and global communities.

SCDF's Collaboration with ITE

ITE has been working closely with SCDF in the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme, or CEPP. In January 2009, the CEPP was incorporated into our staff training. But we felt that this programme would also be beneficial to our students.

So in June 2009, the CEPP was integrated into students’ curriculum as well. Our Nitec in Facility Technology students are now required to participate in the CEPP, at SCDF, as part of the Fire Safety and Protection module. To date, 240 Nitec in Facility Technology students have completed and benefited from the CEPP certification.

Formation of the ITE-Civil Defence Lionhearter Club

In May this year, ITE was approached by the SCDF to jointly set up the ITE-Civil Defence Lionhearter Club, as a Co-Curricular Activity. This is part of SCDF’s move to engage post-secondary students in civil defence, emergency preparedness and humanitarian missions.

Training to be an ITE-CD Lionhearter goes beyond just the participating in the CEPP. Lionhearters are also psychologically and culturally prepared for overseas humanitarian missions. They learn to effectively engage the community in reaching out with the emergency preparedness message.

Today, I am pleased to announce that we have a total of 97 ITE-CD Lionhearters. To these Lionhearters, I offer my heartiest congratulations. The ITE-CD Lionhearter Club, initiated here at ITE College East, will be extended to the students at ITE College Central and ITE College West.

Combining Emergency Preparedness with Technical Skills

With ITE’s ‘Hands-on, Minds-on, Hearts-on’ Education Philosophy, our students are uniquely positioned to do very well as Lionhearters. While their learning at ITE has given them the ‘hands-on’ and ‘minds-on’ components, their learning and experiences as Lionhearters will further grow their ‘hearts-on’ learning.

ITE students who have participated in the Overseas Community Service missions, under our Global Education Programme, have been able to apply their technical skills very effectively in helping to build necessary amenities in underprivileged communities. As a Lionhearter, ITE students will use the same skills not to build, but to rebuild, communities during humanitarian assistance missions.

I am therefore pleased that SCDF has committed to send between 20 to 24 ITE-CD Lionhearters on overseas projects in 2011. I wish our students the very best as they go forth in their overseas missions.

Conclusion

In closing, I would like to commend the pioneer batch of ITE-CD Lionhearters for having completed their training and using the skills they have learnt to contribute to the community.

I would also like to thank Commissioner Peter Lim and his team for giving our students their continuous support and guidance, and for giving them this opportunity to make a difference to the global community.

Once again, I would like to congratulate all Lionhearters on your success. Our hopes and best wishes accompany you as you embark on an exciting and rewarding journey.

Thank you.

ADDRESS BY COMR PETER LIM, COMMISSIONER SCDF, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE CD LIONHEARTER CLUB ON 13 OCTOBER AT 11 AM AT THE ITE COLLEGE EAST

Mr Bruce Poh, Director and CEO, Institute of Technical Education,

Mr Eden Liew, Principal of ITE College East,

Distinguished Guests,

CD Lionhearters,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Good Morning,

It gives me great pleasure to join you this morning for the launch of the Civil Defence Lionhearter Club. First and foremost I would like to congratulate the 97 students from ITE College East who form the second batch of CD Lionhearters. You can be equally proud that you are also the pioneer group of CD Lionhearters among ITE colleges. All 97 of you will join the likes of the 85 students from Singapore Polytechnic, who are playing a significant role in emergency preparedness and social causes. I would like to thank ITE College East, for the time and effort spent in championing the CD Lionhearter Club cause. Your involvement reiterates your commitment towards Singapore’s safety and security.

SCDF’s Collaboration with ITE

In 2008, SCDF and ITE had signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the Dual Certification Programme. This programme entails the collaborative effort to develop and train paramedics in Singapore as well as upgrade the standards of the paramedic vocation. Students who graduate from this programme would attain a NITEC in Nursing and a Higher NITEC in Paramedic and Emergency Care. With the Dual Certification, graduates are presented with the opportunity to choose in becoming a nurse or a paramedic.

On this note, I am also pleased that the collaboration between SCDF and ITE in the Dual Certification Programme has facilitated the sharing of information and technology between the two organisations on their respective areas of expertise such as the operational proficiency and resources of SCDF and the skill-based ITE Curriculum for paramedical and nursing training. I believe this effort had provided the impetus for more win-win partnerships to be forged between us – the most recent being the ITE-CD Lionhearter Club which we are launching today.

Roles of CD Lionhearters

The CD Lionhearters sitting among us this morning have an important role to play in increasing the level of emergency preparedness in Singapore. Besides volunteering your services to educate the community in life saving skills, the CD Lionhearters are also able to provide first level response to incidents within their campus premises. For example, during minor fires, you will be able to provide first-aid and assist in the evacuation of affected persons. Comprehensive training has been provided to the Club members to prepare them for such roles.

The Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP) which the 97 Lionhearters have undergone will put them in good stead to undertake the roles mentioned earlier. At the recent Emergency Preparedness (EP) Day held at Blk 51 Marine Terrace and Parkway Parade Shopping Centre on 25^th September and 4^th October, some of you participated in the evacuation exercise during the simulated fire scenario, while others helped out at the Blood Donation Drive effort held during the Bedok EP Day. Take full advantage of these training opportunities for they will prepare you well to handle actual emergencies when you are faced with them.

CD Lionhearters Deployment to Overseas Mission

The skills that you have acquired will not only benefit the local community, but also those in need overseas. Last October, six CD Lionhearters and one lecturer from Singapore Polytechnic, accompanied by a Senior Officer from SCDF, were deployed to Padang City following the aftermath of a 6.8 magnitude earthquake. During the three day mission, the 6 CD Lionhearters assisted Mercy Relief in their relief efforts in distributing food, water and medical supplies to earthquake victims. They also assisted in the packing of relief items at Mercy Relief’s warehouse in Pariaman and erecting tentages which were used as temporary classrooms for the students of a school which had collapsed during the earthquake.

I understand that arrangements have been made for you to carry out roles similar to those experienced by six Singapore Polytechnic CD Lionhearters in the future. It is important to note that providing humanitarian assistance is a primary function of a CD Lionhearter. Emergency preparedness skills imparted to you will complement your youthful energy, making you the pillars of strength during disasters. In addition, the various skills in engineering, building construction and nursing which you have acquired through your education can help the Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) in projects such as the reconstruction of schools, homes, irrigation and drainage systems damaged during disasters.

Conclusion

The launch of today’s ITE-CD Lionhearter Club is another step in raising the awareness of this programme. I am sure that the ITE-CD Lionhearter Club in ITE College East will further enhance the efforts of SCDF in championing this programme. Following the success of both CD Lionhearter Clubs in ITE College East and Singapore Polytechnic, I hope that other tertiary institutions will follow in your footsteps to be trained to respond to national or international emergencies. On that note, let’s work together to raise the overall level of emergency awareness and preparedness within our community.

Thank you.

Photos taken at launch of ITE-CD Lionhearter Club

Please click here for the details on the launch of the ITE-CD Lionhearter Club.
Please click here for the earlier article on the launch of SP-CD Lionhearter Club.
Please click here for related article.