Ship fire death: SCDF officer was 30-year-old captain who aced fitness, proficiency tests

SINGAPORE: A Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firefighter who died after battling a blaze on a ship on Thursday (May 16) was identified as CPT Kenneth Tay Xue Qin, a regular officer who had attained top scores in fitness and proficiency tests.

With the agreement of his family, a ceremonial funeral will be held to honour CPT Tay, said SCDF in a press statement late on Thursday.

"SCDF is deeply saddened by the death of our colleague CPT Tay. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, and are providing them with our fullest support."

CPT Tay was part of the first response crew for the fire that broke out in a China-flagged tanker's engine room in the early hours of Thursday.

He subsequently lost consciousness on board the ship and was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

JOINED SCDF IN 2017

CPT Tay joined SCDF as a regular officer and began 28 weeks of training in the Rota Commander Course (RCC) on Dec 26, 2017. He completed the course on Jul 6, 2018, and was posted to Changi Fire Station as rota commander until Nov 15, 2020.

He was then posted as a Public Education Officer at 1st SCDF Division after his rota commander tour of duty.

"While at SCDF Division, CPT Tay expressed a strong interest in pursuing a specialisation in marine firefighting. He successfully completed the 5-week Marine Firefighting Specialist Course (MFFSC) on May 31, 2022, and was posted to West Coast Marine Fire Station as a Marine Rota Commander on Jan 16, 2023," said SCDF.

During his RCC, CPT Tay attained the gold standard for his Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) and an "A" in the Breathing Apparatus Proficiency Test (BAPT), said SCDF. 

During his MFFSC in 2022, he also attained a "Distinction" standard for his Marine Firefighting Specialist Certification Test (MFSCT). The following year, he maintained his gold and distinction standards for his IPPT and MFSCT.

"In a fire or rescue emergency, rota commanders lead a team of frontline officers to respond to fire, rescue, and hazardous material incidents," said SCDF.

"All the training for these different roles and responsibilities are carried out centrally at the Civil Defence Academy and the Home Team Tactical Centre through various firefighting and rescue courses."

FIRE ON BOARD THE TANKER

SCDF was alerted to the fire at about 12.15am and firefighters from its West Coast Marine Fire Station boarded the tanker, Sheng Hang Hua 6, to conduct firefighting operations. SCDF arrived at the scene at about 1.15am.

When the firefighters arrived, they found smoke coming out of the ship's engine room, where the fire had broken out.

During the firefighting operation, CPT Tay was with another firefighter in the "smoke-logged" engine room at about 3.30am, said SCDF, adding that they were both wearing personal protective equipment.

"While the firefighter was directing his water jet towards the source of the fire, CPT Tay moved around the engine room with a thermal imager to detect other hot spots," SCDF said.

"Based on body-worn camera footage which was analysed post-incident, at about 3.53am, CPT Tay appeared to encounter difficulties."

After the firefighter who was with CPT Tay noticed that he had not responded to his calls, he tried looking for CPT Tay in the part of the engine room where the firefighting was being carried out.

Another team of firefighters then found CPT Tay lying at the bottom of a staircase at about 4am. The stairs led about 4m down to a lower platform of the engine room from the part of the room where the firefighting operation was being conducted.

"CPT Tay was found conscious, but as he appeared unwell, evacuation was immediately initiated. CPT Tay subsequently lost consciousness when he was brought out from the engine room to the open deck on a stretcher," said SCDF.

"Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was performed on him on the open deck, and continued to be performed on him while he was being evacuated by an SCDF fast response marine vessel to Pasir Panjang Ferry Terminal."

An SCDF ambulance that was on standby at the ferry terminal received CPT Tay at about 5.28am and arrived at the National University Hospital at about 5.50am. SCDF added that the ambulance crew continued performing CPR on him while en route to the hospital.

All the 19 crew members of the vessel were safely accounted for in the incident, said SCDF.

SCDF DEATHS

In December 2022, a 19-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF) died after a firefighting operation at a Henderson Road flat. 

Sergeant 1 (SGT1) Edward H Go, who was allegedly left alone to fight the fire, suffocated to death after his air cylinder was depleted.

He was the first firefighter to die because of an SCDF operation.

SCDF added: "SCDF officers, like CPT Tay, put their lives on the line each time they enter the scene of a fire, in order to save others."