AERIAL SURVEILLANCE
Apart from victim identification, the contingent trained their Nepali counterparts in unmanned aerial vehicle capabilities.
Due to the scale of the disaster, rescuers were unable to access certain areas on foot. Drones allowed officers to search for victims in these disaster zones.
Together with three other trainers, Senior Staff Sergeant Hasrin Hasmoon trained a team of about 20 Nepali officers.
Flying drones in Nepal came with certain challenges, such as strong winds when flying the drone 1,300 metres above sea level, he said.
The drones they brought – and eventually donated – had better zoom functions and thermal technology.
Despite the language barriers, the Nepali officers were determined to learn and there were no issues with communication, he said.
“After the training, they are able to fly the drone with proficiency, and they understand how to use the drone in difficult situations in their search and rescue operation,” he added.
ASP Tan said the deployment in Nepal was a “valuable experience”, which gave them a chance to sharpen their expertise in a specialised field.
“All these experiences are brought back to Singapore to share with our colleagues here, enhance our training and competency, so that in any unfortunate event if it does occur in Singapore, we are always ready to respond,” she said.
One thing that stuck with Dr Kuek was when staff members from their base location wrote them notes of encouragement.
One message read: “Grateful for the heart and skill that you carry so far from home. You are truly valued.”
He said: “It’s such a small thing, but it really meant a great deal to us. We also were shown such tremendous warmth from the Nepali whom we worked with, who were just so appreciative as well.
“All those are just little reminders of what we are doing.”