Honouring the recipients of the SCDF Community First Responder Award
PULSE Issue 46 | January 2026
When emergencies strike, it is often the courage and initiative of those in the vicinity that make all the difference. To honour such selfless acts of the everyday heroes, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) presents the Community First Responder Award in recognition of their quick thinking and compassion. It is an honour to have two of NUHCS’ nurses be conferred this award for their exemplary life-saving actions.
It was an ordinary evening for NUHCS’ Nurse Clinician, Adeline, and her teenage son, Dylan, when an emergency alert suddenly buzzed on Adeline’s mobile phone via the myResponder app. Ironically, they had just been discussing on hospital-related emergency situations moments before the notification arrived. Without hesitation, the pair sprang into
action and rushed toward the location as directed by the app.
Trained in basic Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and first aid through the St. John Brigade, Dylan reacted swiftly, dashing out to offer help even before his mother could respond. For Adeline, who had initially downloaded the app with the intention of contributing back to the community, naturally got into action as well - fully aware as a healthcare
professional that every second counted in such critical cardiac situations.
Upon arrival at the scene, a woman was found lying unconscious, with a family member performing CPR. The mother-son pair immediately took over with Dylan administering chest compressions while Adeline maintained the airway. Soon, other responders joined in with an AED, working together to sustain the patient until paramedics took over. There was no room for hesitation; only a shared spirit of teamwork, urgency and compassion.
Filled with pride for Dylan’s composure and focus in the heat of that critical moment, Adeline describes this experience as something intense yet meaningful – a rare opportunity for a parent and child to bond and grow closer in a shared purpose and achievement.
For Dylan, this experience left a lasting impression on him. Despite initially feeling stressed from being a first-timer facing a real-life emergency, he remained confident and calm because he knew exactly how to handle the situation. Working alongside his mother, they formed an effective team in managing the high-pressure scenario.
Skills are important, but so is the courage to act.
- Adeline Teo, Nurse Clinician, NUHCS
Adeline and Dylan were honoured with the SCDF Community First Responder Award – a recognition that celebrates their swift response and shared commitment to helping others. Their quick and synergised actions that evening proved how compassion and preparedness can turn ordinary people into lifesavers.
You can’t save every life, but you can give someone their only chance.
- Dylan Goh, son of Adeline Teo
Kelyn Tjong, Enrolled Nurse, NUHCS, was also among the SCDF Community First Responder Award recipients, who went the extra mile to make a life-changing impact on someone’s life.
One morning after her nursing shift, Kelyn and her boyfriend, a National Serviceman (NSF), were heading for breakfast when an alert from the myResponder app sounded. Knowing that she had no access to any medical team or equipment, Kelyn was initially hesitant to step up but recognised that every second and every effort counted to potentially saving a life. With the support and encouragement of her boyfriend, both of them rushed down to the emergency scene.
They arrived to an unresponsive woman and her family in distress. Using her first aid knowledge, Kelyn immediately began doing chest compressions, before she was joined by another responder who brought an AED. Together, they continued life-saving efforts until the SCDF paramedics took over.
Kelyn’s calm and decisive actions earned her the SCDF Community First Responder Award, honouring her courage and composure in an emergency setting, even without professional staff or clinical tools available.
This experience reminded Kelyn of what it means to carry the values and mission of a nurse beyond clinical settings, and how important community resilience is.
With the belief that helping others is not merely a choice, but a calling, Kelyn was honoured to have been able to put her passion in nursing into action and make a real difference to her community.
Every small action makes a big difference. You don't need to be perfect to help others.
- Kelyn Tjong, Enrolled Nurse, NUHCS
