St. John Ambulance in Singapore
St. John Singapore | |
---|---|
| |
Active | 1885 - Present |
Role | Volunteer Youth Organisation |
Headquarters | 420 Beach Road |
Motto(s) | For the Faith and in the Service of Humanity |
Commanders | |
Prior, Priory of Singapore / Council Chairman | Dr Teh Peng Hooi K.St.J |
Director, St. John Association Singapore | Dr Selan Sayampanathan SB.St.J |
Chief Commissioner, St. John Brigade Singapore | Prof Goh Hood Keng, Christopher O.St.J |
St. John Singapore, previously known as St. John Ambulance Singapore, is a voluntary secular organisation in Singapore which provides training in First Aid and Home Nursing. It is affiliated to the Order of St. John based in the UK. Its ambulance members (males members) and nursing members (female members) perform voluntary first aid coverage duties during national events and other events. It comprises 3 sub-organisations, namely the St. John Brigade Singapore, St. John Association Singapore, St. John Fellowship Singapore.
The National Headquarters (NHQ) is located at 420 Beach Road and was officially opened on July 23, 1960 by the Yang di-Pertuan Negara (and subsequently President of Singapore), Encik Yusof bin Ishak.
National St. John Council
Appointment Holders
St. John Singapore comes under the command of the National St. John Council. The following are the incumbent appointment holders.
Aims
Apart from promoting and assisting St. John Ambulance Association & Brigade as well as to raise the necessary funds to support their work, the main objects of the Council, are briefly as follows:
- To promote and encourage all works of humanity and charity for the relief of distress, suffering, sickness and danger without any distinction as to race, class or creed, and the extension of the great principles of the Order of St John embodied in its mottoes "for the Faith" and "For the Service of Mankind".
- To render aid to the sick, wounded, disabled or suffering and to promote such permanent organisation in time of peace, as may be available immediately in time of emergency, such aid shall include the provision of technical reserves for the Medical services of the Armed Forces or civil defence organisations in the Republic of Singapore.
- To do such other things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of the above objects or any of them.
- Currently due to poor support from the Prior and his plans- Ambulance Service was minimally employed as part of First Aid Coverage.
St. John Brigade Singapore
![](../I/m/StJohnAmbulanceBrigade-RemembranceDayParade-20031111.jpg)
Appointment Holders
St. John Brigade Singapore comes under the command of the Brigade Executive Committee which is led by appointment holders.[1]
Organisational Structure
St. John Brigade Singapore consists predominantly of cadet members who join the organisation as their CCA in secondary school. Presently, each school that has a St. John unit, referred to as a corps, is organised into 1 of 10 Zones.
Core Competencies
Typically, cadet members undergo training in four core competencies - First Aid, Home Nursing (for Nursing members), Transportation of Casualty (for Ambulance members), Foot Drill and Physical Training. These are conducted through Routine Training and other Training Camps that vary from Corps to Corps and Zone to Zone. In the interest of holistic development, cadet members also have the opportunity to participate in enrichment activities which can allow them to earn Cadet Proficiency Badges. Outstanding cadet members are awarded the prestigious Chief Commissioner's Badge after attaining 12 proficiency badges (with 2 from each of the 4 badge groups, Knowledge of the Order of St. John (KOTO) Badge, and the Total Defence Badge).
St. John Day
As St. John the Baptist Day, June 24, normally falls during the Singapore School Holidays, corps typically observe St. John Day on the first Wednesday after school reopens. On that day, members don their Brigade Uniform during official school hours. A St. John Day message by the Chief Commissioner is read out by the Principal or student leader during the morning flag raising ceremony. Where possible, the St. John Flag is also raised alongside the State Flag and the respective School Flag. On this day also, members reaffirm their loyalty to the Republic of Singapore and affirm their commitment to the twin mottoes of the Order, 'For the Faith' and 'For the Service of Mankind', in reciting the St. John Pledge.
Badges
Brigade Badges
The following badges are listed in order of precedence:
- Chief Commissioner's Badge - Awarded by the National CPB Committee after obtaining 12 badges (at least 2 from each group), Knowledge of the Order (KSJ/408) and Total Defence Badge (TDF/110).
- Deputy Chief Commissioner's Badge - Awarded by the National CPB Committee after obtaining 9 badges including Knowledge of the Order and completed Total Defence Gold.
- Commissioner's Badge - Awarded by the National CPB Committee after obtaining 6 badges (at least 1 from each group), Knowledge of the Order (KSJ/409) and completed Total Defence Silver.
- Superintendent's Badge - Awarded by the National CPB Committee after obtaining 4 badges and completed Total Defence Silver.
- Drill Instructor Badge - Awarded by the National Training Committee, upon completion of the Advanced Drill Instructor’s Course (Gold Badge) or approved Basic Drill Instructor’s Course (Silver Badge).
- Unicorn Badge (To cease to be issued from 2018) - Awarded by the National CPB Committee after obtaining 4 badges (at least 1 from each group).
- National First Aid Competition Champion Badge - Awarded by the Senior Assistant Chief Commissioner (Operations) to all members of the champion teams of all 4 categories at the National First Aid Competition.
- National Activity Badge - Awarded by the National CPB Committee after participating in an approved national event.
Corps Appointment Badges
- Corps Secretary
- Corps Storekeeper
National First Aid and Home Nursing Competition
![](../I/m/StJohnAmbulanceBrigade-AnnualFirstAidandHomeNursingCompetition-20070708.jpg)
The National First Aid and Home Nursing Competition, typically referred to as the National First Aid Competition (NFAC), is an annual inter-zone competition in which all 10 Zones send teams to compete in each of the 4 categories. Prior to the NFAC, each Zone organises its own Inter-Corps First Aid and Home Nursing Competition with a similar competition framework. The 4 champion teams from each Zone represent their respective Zones in the NFAC.
Competition Categories
The 4 categories are listed below:
Category | Description |
---|---|
Ambulance Adult (AA) | Males of age 16 or above with Adult First Aid Certificate |
Nursing Adult (NA) | Females of age 16 or above with Adult First Aid Certificate |
Ambulance Cadet (AC) | Males of age 17 or below with Basic First Aid Certificate |
Nursing Cadet (NC) | Females of age 17 or below with Basic First Aid Certificate |
Competition Framework
There are 2 frameworks for the competition, one for the Ambulance categories and one for the Nursing categories.
Ambulance Category Framework
AA and AC teams are expected to complete the following as part of the competition:
- First Aid Long Case (20 mins)
- First Aid Short Case (10 mins)
- Transportation of Casualty
- Foot Drill (10 mins)
Nursing Category Framework
NA and NC teams are expected to complete the following as part of the competition:
- Home Nursing Case (20 mins)
- First Aid Medium Case (15 mins)
- Foot Drill (10 mins)
Dress Regulations
Uniforms
At present, there are a total of 4 uniforms of St. John Brigade Singapore, which are listed as follows:
- Ceremonial Uniform
- Mess Kit
- Safari Uniform
- Field Uniform
Cadet members are presently only entitled to wear the Field Uniform, which is also the most widely recognised uniform of the St. John Brigade Singapore. The Field Uniform consists of a black beret with a cap badge, depending on which is entitled to the wearer. Nursing members wear a hairnet as well. The top consists of a white short-sleeved shirt / blouse with plastic concealed buttons. Shoulder flashes bearing the Maltese Cross with twin beasts and unicorns, together with the words "St. John Singapore" are worn on both sleeves. A black epaulette is worn on both shoulders denoting the rank of the member. The bottom consists of black pants / culottes, which is worn with the St. John belt. Black socks and black low-cut boots are worn with the shoelaces tied in the formal-style.
For Presidents, Senior Officers, Officers and Warrant Officers, the following 4 uniforms are worn:
Common Name | Description (Ambulance) | Description (Nursing) |
---|---|---|
Safari Uniform | A bush jacket with 4 big silver buttons in front, with epaulettes and metal rank insignias for both the men and the ladies. Medal ribbons are normally worn though full medals (together with the ceremonial belt) are sometimes worn during parades and ceremonies. Peak Cap is worn. | Same. Lady officers have the option of black culottes or slacks. |
Field Uniform | Same uniform as for Members except for collar badges. Beret is worn. | Same. Lady officers have the option of black culottes or slacks. |
No. 1 Uniform | A long-sleeved version of the safari jacket, with full medals, worn on top of a white shirt black and tie. A ceremonial belt, in red, white and black is worn around the waist. Peak Cap is worn. | A long-sleeved version of the safari uniform. Senior lady officers also have a gray dress but this uniform is seldom seen nowadays. Round Hat is worn. |
Mess Kit | A wing-collared shirt with maroon cummerband bow-tie. Tuxedo jacket with miniature medals and rank insignias is worn. No headdress is worn. | A cross bow-tie. Tuxedo jacket with miniature medals and rank insignias is worn. No headdress is worn. |
Head Dress
Beret
Rank | Beret | Cap Badge |
---|---|---|
Cadet Members | ![]() Beret with Cadet Cap Badge |
![]() Cadet Cap Badge |
Adult Members | ![]() Beret with Adult Cap Badge |
![]() Adult Cap Badge |
Staff Officers, Warrant Officers and Corps/Zone Presidents |
![]() Beret with Officer Cap Badge |
![]() Officer Cap Badge |
Commissioners and HQ Presidents |
![]() |
![]() Senior Officer Cap Badge (Embroided) |
Peak Cap and Bowler Hat
Rank | Cap Embellishment (Ambulance) | Cap Embellishment (Nursing) | Cap Badge |
---|---|---|---|
Staff Officer Grades 3 to 6, Warrant Officers and Corps Presidents |
![]() Peak Cap |
![]() Bowler's Hat |
![]() Officer Cap Badge |
Staff Officer Grades 2 to 1 and Zone Presidents |
![]() Peak Cap with a silver bar |
![]() Bowler's Hat with silver lining |
![]() Officer Cap Badge |
Commissioners and HQ Presidents |
![]() Peak Cap with a silver bar and St John wort |
![]() Bowler's Hat with silver lining |
![]() Senior Officer Cap Badge (Embroided) |
Distinguishing Marks
Collar Badges
Rank | Corps Officers (Grades 3 to 6) | Zone Officers (Grades 3 to 5) and Warrant Officers | HQ Officers (Grades 3 to 5) and Warrant Officers |
Collar Badges | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Gorget Patches
Rank | Brigade / Senior
/ Zone Presidents |
Officers (Grade 2) | Officers (Grade 1) | Senior Officers
(Super Grade 1 to Super Grade 5) |
Gorget Patches | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
Rank Structure
As a uniformed organisation that has a military heritage that originated in the Order of St. John, a rank structure used to distinguish members and appointment holders. In general, the rank one holds within the organisation corresponds with his / her appointment.
Senior Officers
- Chief Commissioner
SG1 - Deputy Chief Commissioner
Chief Surgeon
SG2 - Senior Assistant Chief Commissioner
SG3 - Assistant Chief Commissioner
Chief Nursing Officer
SG4 - Commissioner
Zone Commissioner
SG5
Officers
- Staff Officer Grade 1
HQ Staff Officer
Deputy Zone Commissioner
SO(1) - Staff Officer Grade 2
HQ Staff Officer
Zone Superintendent
Zone Surgeon*
Zone Nursing Officer
SO(2) - Staff Officer Grade 3
(HQ / Zone) Staff Officer
Corps Superintendent
Zone Nursing Officer
SO(3) - Staff Officer Grade 4
(HQ / Zone / Corps) Staff Officer
Corps Surgeon*
(Zone / Corps) Nursing Officer
SO(4) - Staff Officer Grade 5
(HQ / Zone / Corps) Staff Officer
Corps Nursing Officer
Zone Nursing Officer*
SO(5) - Staff Officer Grade 6
Corps Staff Officer
SO(6)
Warrant Officers
- Warrant Officer Grade 1
Brigade Sergeant Major
HQ Warrant Officer
WO(1) - Warrant Officer Grade 2
(Brigade / Zone) Sergeant Major
(HQ / Zone) Warrant Officer
WO(2) - Warrant Officer Grade 3
Zone Sergeant Major
Zone Warrant Officer
WO(3) - Warrant Officer Grade 4
Zone Warrant Officer
WO(4)
Adult and Cadet Members
- Senior Staff Sergeant
SSS - Staff Sergeant
SSG - Sergeant
SGT - Corporal
CPL - Lance Corporal
LCP - Private
PTE
Presidents
- HQ / Zone / Corps President
Orders, Decorations and Medals
Officers and members are entitled to receive the following Orders, Decorations and Medals:
Local Awards
- The Commendation Medal of St. John (CMSJ)
- The Priory Medal
- The 5 Years First Aid Efficiency Medal
- The Golden Jubilee Medal
International Awards (awarded by the Order of St. John)
- The Bailiff / Dame Grand Cross of the Order of St. John (GC.St.J)
- The Knights / Dame of Justice of the Order of St. John (K.St. J / D.St.J)
- The Knights / Dame of Grace of the Order of St. John (K.St.J / D.St.J)
- The Commander Brother / Sister of the Order of St. John (C.St.J)
- The Officer Brother / Sister of the Order of St. John (O.St.J)
- The Serving Brother / Sister of the Order of St. John (SB.St.J / SS.St.J)
- The Life-Saving Medal of the Order of St. John
- The Service Medal of the Order of St. John
See also
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to St John Ambulance Singapore. |
- Order of St. John
- St John Ambulance
- St John Ambulance Ranks and Insignia
- St. Andrew's Ambulance Association
- Service Medal of the Order of St John
- Insignia of the Venerable Order of St John
References
- ↑ "St. John Brigade Singapore Organisation Chart". Retrieved 2015-12-01.
Sources
- History: http://www.sjab.org.sg/history.htm. Retrieved 6 April 2007
- Names of Corps taken from http://www.sjab.org.sg/allzone.htm. Retrieved 6 April 2007
- Description of Rank Structure taken from the Brigade Regulations of the Republic of Singapore
(1997 edition)
- Results of 2008 National Competition from http://www.sjab.org.sg/