SCDF Advertorial - Central Fire Station visit

As part of the SCDF blogging campaign, I had the opportunity to visit Central Fire Station awhile ago.





I was pretty excited because I've never been to a Fire Station before.. Then again, I'd imagine not many people have.

When left with free time on a Saturday, few of us would think of visiting a fire station but that would soon change!




This is a shout-out to let people know that

Our local Fire Stations have Open House every Saturday morning, with free admission for everyone

so bring your family, friends and lovers there!




The one I visited was Central Fire Station and all Fire Stations have Open House except Jurong Island.





"The red and white Central Fire Station, completed in 1908 (and still in use), has a watchtower and living quarters for firemen. On Saturday mornings kids can ride on an engine and take pictures with the Red Rhinos (a smaller version of the fire truck) and the firemen. Then head next door to the Civil Defence Heritage Gallery (open 10am-5pm Tue-Sun), a mini fire-fighting museum housing old trucks and equipment, plus interactive games and activities on the second level."


Address

62 Hill Street

Transport
Nearby Stations: City Hall or Clarke Quay

Open Sat 9am-11am



It's like going behind-the-scenes of a movie : A great opportunity to see, touch, experience things you've always been curious about but never had the chance to..


Such as getting to use the very same equipment that firefighters use to put out real fire






Or finding out what really lies on the inside of an ambulance that enables paramedics to save lives.

.

.

.

Upon entering Central Fire Station several weekends ago, I first noticed that it was quite packed with curious and excited families even though the weather wasn't that great (drizzling)






I wondered where these people got the information of fire stations being open for Open House from.. I never knew it was open and if I knew earlier, I'd visit sooner!

The highlight of my visit there was actually getting to meet the people that keep our country, Singapore, safe.


In times of tragedy, these are our everyday heroes who will rush to help those in need when everyone else only helps themselves.


We were invited to sit down in their office where we had a friendly chat with LTA Foo and another paramedic about what it's like doing their jobs, plus the different difficulties and rewards that come along with it.

I found the talk quite enlightening and loved how these men were so down-to-earth about what they do.


When asked why they chose their current profession, both had the same answer.



They felt like this was their calling in life. They couldn't imagine themselves having a mundane and "meaningless" 9 to 5 office job. They wanted to be out there, in the middle of the action... To be saving people.


LTA Foo mentioned he likes how when the alarm goes off for a new mission, it gets his adrenaline pumping and he feels like this is what he was meant to do.



Which made me wonder...


What is my calling in life? What was I meant to do?

Have you figured out what you want to do with your life yet?


If you are a thrill-seeker, or selfless and courageous enough to imagine yourself having a profession that focuses on protecting the people of your country, http://pea.to/scdf4 is a link you'd be interested in.


According to them, it is not required for you to have similar / related background working experience or certificates as they will train you to become qualified enough!

So click on the above link to find out more about how you can join SCDF, the opportunities it offers, and whether it's suitable for you.

.

.

.

After our talk, LTA Foo brought us on a special tour around Central Fire Station where we got to exclusively experience many things first-hand.




Firstly, we step inside an ambulance to see what it has in store!










If you visit their Open House on Saturdays, they'll be glad to show you around too~








Yes, bloggers really do take photos of EVERYTHING.











Him showing me the contents of his life-saving bag









If my memory does not fail me, that's meant to be for fractured legs.. correct me if I'm wrong :P









That's the thingy that hooks up to the person... I think it contains oxygen? (but don't take me seriously, I failed my secondary school chemistry)


Gah for the life of me I cannot remember jack, but then again it HAS been about a month since my visit and I've had 3 weeks of eventful holidays...

If only Sam was here, my genius medical scientist of a boyfriend would know! He knows everything... like REALLY. Science-related at least.


I ask him lots of random questions, like "When do you think the world would end?? Do you think there are aliens?" LOL.






Okok I definitely know this one!!! This helps you breathe properly! Yay 10 points for me.








Oooh! And this is what they call "miracle water", because apparently it revives unconscious people due to its sugar content..

See, sugar is good for you afterall!! Don't listen to your ma! :P

.
.
.
.
.

Next, we get to try out badass water guns!!!

Not the ones you play with in your swimming pools, the ones that are going to save your life if you are ever unfortunately caught in a fire.

This misty-looking gun, I THINK, clears the path for the firefighters to enter a building on fire... For smaller fires and to lower the temperature for them to walk in. I THINK ONLY AH, don't quote me on this lolol.







"Ok here's so how you do it ah... Very easy one ok just press here...."











"Uh.... K.. Am I doing it right?? Why is nothing coming out of the nozzle?? Anyway *poses for picture*"








"RAWR!!!! There!"










The crowd wants their turn too!!











Looks easy eh? Even a xiao di di can manage..


.

....

.........


...WRONG. This nozzle is really hard to manage, its appearance is deceiving for I was told it requires two firefighters to actually hold one side each!

It is really powerful and quite heavy.





It can turn into the spray form to cover wide distances, or it can be like what you see above, solid and powerful reaching heights of up to 13 storeys!! Impressive huh. Not what you'd expect from something that small..











But nothing I cannot handle!!! BWAHAHAHAHA!!!

I don't know what I was laughing at to cause that =DDDD expression... In front of me is just a stream of water in the air and some plants. I must be easily amused.











Ok I know it's not very convincing when I say it's hard to manage and someone like me looks like she is managing it so easy hahaha he is actually holding the end of the nozzle but you cannot see!

.
.
.
.
.
.

Next we check out some of their fancy equipment...









"Eh are you taking pictures of me??"










I believe this is called a Rhino!









The ever-popular and significant Fire Engine Truck








LTA Foo calls this the "heart of the truck", this part powers the rest of the truck











Listening to LTA Foo explain the different parts of the truck.. made me feel like I was in school again :P

Hence the sleepy eyes rofl









Hmmm what are they doing????









Trying to take a picture of me on their heat-detection device!!!

This device is used when the smoke is too thick to see anything, and with this they can spot humans even through thick smoke and walls!







Me sitting in the front seats of a fire engine!


I was told when the alarm goes off, they don't have time to change at all, they have to assemble and leave within 1 minute which explains why they have the sliding pole.. stairs take too long!

And they change into their firefighting suits in the truck. In times of emergency, time is the most valuable thing...



Speaking of poles, check this out!!




Not only do they save lives, they do elegant acrobatic poses too :P


LOL @ the one on top, he looks abit confused! Kindly instructed by LTA Foo!!

Neat huh, I've always wanted to try sliding down one of those poles, it looks so stylish and cool!!!... Didn't think they'd let me though hahaha would probably die or break my legs.

It's certainly not as easy as it looks.









Next he showed us...








Compressed air tanks!!!
When fighting fire, they have to carry this, which I think is around 13kg, plus other equipment which amounts to alot of extra weight on them...




Then he said, "Wanna try it on?" to which I replied, "Sure!"









Look ma!!! I has a new backpack!!!

.

.

.

.

But then I realized THIS was what he meant:




LOL watchu doing to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!











Darth Vader much!!! Win!!!


I've always wanted to try on one of these.


I remember LTA Foo kept saying, "BREATHE!!! BREATHE!!" because I think I looked like I had trouble breathing LOL.


The firefighters really have it tough man.. Gotta applaud them for what they do.









SCDF BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

.

.

.

And finally, we get onto the crane thingy which allows them to reach victims stuck in high levels when stairways have been blocked!








Snap a quick picture :








And we're off!!! WeeeEeeEee..





After being on the Stratosphere in Las Vegas more than 100 storeys high, heights don't really scare me now...



Alas, halfway up it started to rain so we couldn't go really high on the elevator thingy :(

Such a pity! It was gonna be the fun part! Rain rain go away..

.

.

.

But all is not lost, I still enjoyed myself and learned many new things from my Fire Station visit.


It was definitely an eye-opener..

Thank you LTA Foo for the tour and for the whole experience!!!




If you'd like to experience these things for yourself too, head on over to your nearest fire station for their Open House every Saturday from 9am to 11am!

It's an experience like no other. Bring the kids, they'd be most excited :)


Even I had fun, and it will be interesting for the whole family.




To end off this post, here are some pictures of me in a *gasp*,

Senior Officer gear...


This is so going to THE collection. Absolutely epic!!!











I AM STRONG LIKE SUPERMAN!!! ROAR!!!







Salute!!!!







Holding non-existent hose while battling imaginary inferno LOL








HAHAHAHA... When I was doing all these wtf poses, there were several firefighters in the office just staring at me awkwardly.

Yet LTA Foo didn't seem to bother at all, in fact he kept encouraging me to take many different photos in creative manners! What a man.






Check out the cute little souvenir he gave me, it's actually a handphone pouch!! ^.^



Now that we all know a little bit more about firefighters and what they do for us, I hope this helps everyone reading this appreciate them better :)


I'm really thankful to be part of this SCDF campaign.

Who knew that visiting a Fire Station could be that fun?


An experience to remember...


Till next time.


xoxo,
Jess

Tribute to Dawn, Tilly and SWF Orcas

***ALL PICTURES OF KILLER WHALES, TRAINERS AND SEA WORLD WERE TAKEN BY ME AND MAY NOT BE USED WITHOUT PERMISSION***


Earlier this afternoon I was alerted by some blog readers of mine about a tragedy that happened in Sea World Orlando.

Thanks for alerting me by the way, otherwise I probably wouldn't have known so soon... I don't read the news very much.


A killer whale trainer was just killed by Tilly in Sea World Orlando on Wednesday, which would be our Thursday. (yes, the same Tilly I named my life-sized killer whale that's hanging on my ceiling after.)







You can read the full story here

.
.
.
.
.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you... Tilikum.




I'm really really really disheartened by the news because Tilly seemed like such a sweetheart the last time we were there.













I spent so much time in the day and in the night and basically every spare moment I had just sitting patiently in the underwater viewing area, staring into his tank and sometimes right into his eye, watching him swim away and towards me over and over again..



I love killer whales to fucking death, and if I could choose any occupation to have in this whole damn world I'd be a killer whale trainer because it is so fulfilling, but also an incredibly difficult job to have therefore




I have GREAT admiration for all killer whale trainers, for their passion and determination towards working with these animals.










My heart goes out to Dawn and her family...

She achieved what is impossible to average people like me, very few people are qualified enough to be killer whale trainers.

What it must be like working and playing with these magnificent creatures on a daily basis.




It is most tragic that she had to be killed by what she loved so dearly. She pursued her life's dream.. who knew that her life dream would end up in a life ending situation? Having said that, she died while doing what she loved best and I'm sure she wouldn't have wanted it any other way.


What also upsets me besides the death of a killer whale trainer caused by a killer whale that I adore is the fact that SO many ill-informed idiots who don't know any better have decided to give their unintelligent opinions about the situation.





Some of the comments that really REALLY upset me are:

1) "Killer whales are vicious creatures - that's why they are called KILLER whales"

2) "Killer whales are so dangerous, Sea World should release all of them back into the wild"

3) "Killer whales are meant to be roaming free in the ocean and not kept as theme park attractions"

4) "Sea World / the trainer deserved it because they treat their killer whales so cruel, depriving them of a normal life and starving them to make them perform tricks"

5) "Tilikum should be put to sleep because he's a dangerous animal and killed 3 people already"

.
.
.
.
.

...Ok first off, I feel the need to let the world know that killer whales got their nickname from KILLING other whales. They are not actually proper WHALES, they are in fact very large dolphins.


The following three images were taken from Google




This is a bottlenose dolphin






This is an Orcinus Orca, a type of dolphin







This is a humpback whale, a REAL whale. See the difference now?





And their proper name is Orcinus Orca, more commonly just Orca.

Ok, that's Orca 101 for you. I can't be effed explaining the difference to you, but let's move on to my point.


Yes, they are intimidating - afterall they are APEX predators of the sea. For the dimwits, that means that they have no natural predators of their own and they are at the top of their food chain. They will attack whales that are more than twice their size when they hunt in groups...

Sounds scary, right?



But do you know that there has never been a single authenticated documented human death or serious injury caused by killer whales in the wild?


For many many years, humans have been interacting with killer whales in the wild with almost no problems at all.


Swimming with killer whales is safer than swimming with sharks.



They are generally reported to be friendly and curious. Once you get to know them, you will realize how amazingly beautiful and intelligent they are... Vicious is a trait that doesn't really come to mind because killer whales in captivity are usually so docile.


The only documented attacks of killer whales on humans is in captivity, where they are not in their natural habitat and the trauma of getting captured from the wild and placed in a foreign environment may cause them so much stress that they show acts of violence.



In such an event, HOW CAN YOU BLAME TILIKUM?!?!?!





Yes, he is dangerous and yes he has been involved in 3 different human deaths...

But no matter what he is still an ANIMAL. As smart or tamed as he is, he is still a god damn animal who sometimes or most of the time fails to think rationally. Common sense does not exist to him.

And remember that he is not just ANY animal, he is an ORCA. Apex predators, natural instincts to kill, hello?



As far as I know, Tilikum was captured from the wild and was not born in captivity so he's had a history of hunting and natural aggression that he experienced in the wild.

You can train him, tame him, but whenever he finds himself in a situation where he is provoked and reminded of violence, he could act out anytime.



It's called animal instincts.


I'm sure this is a basic fact that ALL killer whales trainer FULLY understand. Dawn took up the job of a killer whale trainer bearing in mind all the consequences... Although being killed by one of her own orcas must not have been something she was counting on, it would have definitely crossed her mind before.


Don't put all the blame on Tilikum!!!!

If anything, the trainers at Sea World should take blame too. They know he's had a violent history, and they took precautions but maybe we all just realized right now that it's not enough.

But implying that they DESERVED it is just too much. No one deserved to be killed by what they love most.. nature.



When I was at Sea World Orlando in December, I noticed one thing - Tilikum was kept separate from all the other killer whales.









He is a lot bigger than he looks



When I asked the people at Sea World why, they said that it was because he doesn't get along well with the other whales.

I'm guessing they were probably showing signs of aggression towards each other and since Tilly is soooooo big, he would be a threat to the other whales.




Killer whales are not meant to be kept alone!!! I'm sure that pissed him off because killer whales are such social creatures. Human interaction is not enough, they need killer whale friends too..

Did you know that in the wild, killer whale families never ever leave each others side? They grow old and die together, through thick and thin!



Having acknowledged this fact, Sea World made sure that their trainers never got into the water with Tilikum but now we know that it's unsafe to even go near him or touch him.

Knowing that Tilly was already involved in 2 deaths before being transferred to Sea World Orlando, they shouldn't even have bought him in the first place!!!!

Some animals can be tamed, some are just naturally violent.

.
.
.
.
.

Ok moving on - let's talk about how killer whale trainers treat their orcas.



KILLER WHALE TRAINERS TREAT THEIR ORCAS WITH

UTMOST R E S P E C T AND L O V E.


How do I know this?

..Am I a killer whale trainer myself? No.

..Am I a genius? Maybe.


But you don't have to be a freaking genius to realize that there is NO other reason why a killer whale trainer would choose to risk his life everyday if not in the name of passion, respect and love.


They don't earn a lot of money considering how tough their job is.

It is real HARD WORK I can tell you that.



They don't just play with the killer whales as and when they want, they have to take care of the whales welfare everyday - play with them, teach them, feed them, scrub the pails they put the fish in, the list of chores go on and on.

It's like having your own baby but much bigger and much more dangerous.







Their job isn't quite as picture-perfect as it seems during their shows - being shot up into the air by a killer whale rocket may seem glamorous, but there is a lot you need to pay to get there.

You need to be very very good at swimming and be in perfect health because the job is obviously physically demanding. Working with the top predator of the ocean which is 10 times your size is more than taking your dog for a walk in the park.



You also need to have experience / education related to animals - whether it's a degree in marine biology or you study the behaviour of animals...

.
.
.
.

Assuming YOU are qualified for the job - you're really good at swimming, really smart and really good with animals... Would you become a killer whale trainer?


Chances are, probably NOT.

Why?
......Because it's fucking hard work and that 7 metres long Orca probably scares the shit out of you!!!!!




You think to yourself, this massive creature could probably break you in two like a paper doll anytime it wanted to.

You are absolutely right - they can.


And no one in their right mind would take this risk, and work so hard to be qualified for the job unless they have UTMOST LOVE AND RESPECT for these killer whales.







You have to love them enough to want to risk your life while working with them, and you have to respect them enough to trust that after building a relationship with the top predator of the ocean, it will not hurt you.




Killer whale trainers don't just so happen to stumble into their jobs - they worked damn hard for it. Most of them probably went to Sea World when they were a young boy/girl, then fell in love with killer whales just like I did.


So how DARE anyone insult the trainers by saying that they mistreat the whales / do not care about them / just want to make money / starve them to make them perform tricks?!?!






You cannot FORCE a killer whale to do tricks. They are strong-willed creatures and if they don't like something, they show it.



Many killer whale shows have been cancelled because the trainers ASKED the orcas if they would like to perform but they refused to co operate. And the trainers respected that fact.

They did not force the whales to do anything they didn't want to - you couldn't even if you tried.


What are you going to do, point a gun at its head??

If you think it's bullshit, think again.



I experienced it first-hand. I was in Sea World Orlando and rushed to catch the last show of the day - only to have the trainers tell us halfway through the show that the orcas do not feel like performing so the show's been cancelled, to my dismay.


The killer whales are not mistreated / starving / depressed!!!



I know people are then going to say, "If so, why did Tilikum misbehave and kill his trainer if he was not unhappy?"


And all I have to say is - he's an animal.



You cannot predict what animals are going to do ALL the time - and it can't talk and tell you either. His trainer was a veteran and she knew what she was doing. If she didn't spot anything wrong, probably no one else could.


Animals don't NEED a valid reason to act strangely.


He could have just been in a bad mood for whatever reason - he probably never meant to intentionally kill his trainer, but he has such immense strength that even a little bit of rough play could result in death.

Afterall, like I said he has had a HISTORY of violence.. it's naturally in him.

.
.
.
.
.

But then again I guess a lot of people are so anti-captivity and biased that they fail to look at the situation through unbiased eyes.

They only bitch on the internet about how the orcas are unhappy and should be set free in the wild and how theme parks like Sea World are doing wrong, blah blah blah..










But really, have you actually witnessed WITH YOUR OWN EYES (not on youtube or any of that shit) how beautiful the relationship between killer whales and their trainers are?



Or are you just too enraged and pre-occupied with your non-existent morals while riding your high horse to notice the good side of it?


Has YOUR heart melted while seeing a killer whale give its trainer a kiss?


They love and trust each other...



Much more than any of you with your dogs!!! Like there isn't even a comparison.

You don't somersault with your dog into the air, do you?












You don't trust your dog with your life, do you?



Fuck all those anti-captivity comments!


Do you speak killer whale? Have they personally told you how miserable they are? I don't speak killer whale but I can SEE with my own eyes that they are doing just fine in captivity.

Unless anyone else can prove otherwise, I stand by my point.



Yes, Tilikum is an exception. He's obviously different from the rest and apparently has major moodswings, so yes I do think they should consider releasing him into the wild. Or perhaps never ever use him in shows again.



But just because Tilly may act aggressively sometimes does not mean all the other killer whales hate being in captivity too.











In fact I am rather amazed that this is the first death at Sea World Orlando - by the laws of nature, all the trainers should be dead by now.

I just don't think mother nature intended for humans to swim with apex predators.




But they defied the odds and made something impossible happen. Instead of being fucked up and putting them down, ADMIRE THEM FOR SOMETHING YOU WILL NEVER ACHIEVE!



I watched Tilly perform a lot of tricks during my time spent at Sea World Orlando. He seemed fine at the time and obeyed all orders willingly.. so he may just be one PMSy bitch.


I love killer whales and I understand that capturing them from the wild is torture and very cruel. I definitely don't approve of that!



But hey, SEA WORLD DOES NOT CAPTURE ORCAS FROM THE WILD ANYMORE.


Sea World has been successfully breeding their own captive orcas for many years now. So why are people still bitching about anti-captivity?!?



Most of these killer whales have never known life outside their tanks. They have never hunted their own food, they have never roamed the ocean and experienced its dangers.

If we released them back into the wild, they might not be able to fend for themselves and die even earlier than if they were in captivity!







Sea World is their home.



Then there will be more people leaving comments about "shorter life span than orcas in the wild" resulting from the killer whales being held in captivity..


But once again, this problem is being resolved because killer whales are living longer in captivity nowadays and killer whales have a high mortality rate in the wild too. They are just complicated creatures in general.

In the wild, 40% of the calfs die due to birth complications...



Without a place like Sea World, average people like me would never have the chance to interact with killer whales so personally in such close proximity and learn about them.

I have the most amazing footage of myself interacting with killer whales in Sea World which I'd love to share with everyone. I'd blog about my trip to Sea World really soon.


Every year, millions of people flock to Sea World to admire their killer whales and other marine creatures.




They are educating the public and encouraging greater respect and admiration for these animals.

They have definitely taught me to love and understand animals more.




Sea World is also a research center, because of them we know a lot more about killer whales than we did before Sea World came along because if we didn't hold them captive, it'd be impossible to make so many findings.

They also take care of injured animals and nurse them back to health!



I wish spiteful idiots would stop hating and see how wonderful Sea World is.

Jesus, can I watch ONE video of killer whales on Youtube without being disrupted by anti-captivity comments?

You act as if you care sooo much for the whales, much more than everyone else... If you really do, join Sea Sheperd!!!


Get off your ass and actually DO something instead of just bitching on the net.


If you can, take a trip there to experience it for yourself - anyone who's been there and loves marine mammals would know what I mean.


You don't know what you're missing out on.


For the hundredth time I'm going to say this - I LOVE killer whales and I can assure you that most of them are not miserable where they are. They are happy, healthy and they love human interaction .


Sea World created some of the most beautiful memories in my life, and I wish everybody would stop hating and respect the orcas and their trainers for what they do.



Please don't talk rubbish if you don't know what you are talking about.



And to answer another question - why do I love killer whales?





I'm amazed by their grace, strength, intelligence, sheer size, beauty and their playful / friendly behaviour.

How is it that people can swim side by side with the top predator of the ocean in the wild (and most of the time in captivity) and not even get hurt? These creatures eat anything from stingrays to porpoises but just wouldn't hurt a human.


They are so big and powerful, but so gentle with humans...


I could go on all day talking about all the reasons why I adore orcas, but this post is lengthy enough already and perhaps I shall elaborate on that another day.



Discover how different killer whales are from all other animals on this earth and what amazing creatures they can be.



Please, people, do yourself a favour and educate yourself.

Google them, read up on them watch their videos of them hunting, playing, doing anything... I PROMISE it's worth your time. You will be fascinated off your nuts. Unless you are stupid, then why are you reading my blog?!?!




Right now, I want the focus of this post to be on Anti-Captivity and Tilly's issue.

.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

In memory of Dawn Brancheau‎ and a tribute to all killer whales and their trainers.

xoxo,
Jess