“I want to commit suicide!”

That was the first sentence Mohamed Noh Iskandar heard as he picked up one of his first calls as an Emergency Communications officer. Nothing can really prepare anyone for hearing something like that over the phone. However, Iskandar had to think quickly to stay on the line with the caller while keying in crucial details of the case to coordinate with the Police Divisional Operations Room (DOR) who would then dispatch officers to the location as soon as possible.

 

Being an Emergency Communications officer brings multitasking to a whole new level as they have to do a variety of tasks concurrently. Such actions include thinking on their feet, listening attentively to critical information, creating incident folders and most importantly, talking to and advising the person in distress on what to do. One small lapse in concentration or a lack of tact could result in the difference between someone getting injured or worse, losing their lives.
 

Back in 2013, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) decided to recruit and train civilian officers to answer calls coming through the Police emergency hotline. Iskandar was one of the pioneer batch of civilian officers recruited for the job. Iskandar recalled, “Although serving my National Service in SPF was a huge advantage, nothing could have prepared me for this new career path that I decided to embark on”.

Landing the job was no walk in the park for Iskandar as he recalled his training which he described as nothing short of challenging. He was given two weeks to train to be proficient in his duties which involved learning several modules such as Police Procedures, Police Force Act, Criminal Procedure Codes, telephone skills, effective listening, handling difficult callers, managing emotions, learning the Singapore map and understanding the Cubicon system which allows real time information to be communicated between the officer and the command centre. On top of those modules, he had to spend two days at the DOR learning how to dispatch officers in times of crisis and another two days attached to officers on the ground attending to cases to familiarise themselves with the work.

 

Training for him however, was far from over. After completing the modules and attachments, he still had to go undergo a two-month probation period of on-the-job training where he was attached to a senior Emergency Communications officer. Only after his probation would he be allowed to respond to emergency calls independently.

 

However, after graduating from training, everything was not all smooth sailing for Iskandar. “Every time I picked up a call and hear someone scream, my initial reaction would be ‘Oh God!’ However no matter how hard my heart pounded, staying calm and keeping a professional front was critical.”. Having been in the job for four years, he continues to face new challenges. “The increase in nuisance calls which took up 47.8 per cent of all 999 calls in 2016 is one of such challenges,” he further explained.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With such nuisance calls crowding the emergency hotline daily, the Police are concerned that such calls could delay someone else who is in dire need of Police assistance.

 

To tackle this issue, the Police regularly educates the public on the appropriate use of the emergency hotline through engagement sessions with members of the public. When Emergency Communications officers receive such calls, they are also trained to advise callers on the proper channels to contact.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Indeed, the demands and responsibilities placed on an Emergency Communications officer’s shoulders are colossal. As the first point of contact between the public and the Police, these officers who work behind the phones play a vital role in ensuring the safety and security of Singapore.

 

“Although the job has immense demands, it gives me great satisfaction to know that despite all this, I know that I am helping people and making a difference to their lives and this is what keeps me going,” shared Iskandar.