SCDF officer to be charged over firefighter Edward Go's death; he had allegedly left him alone to fight fire

A 38-year-old Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officer will be charged on Monday (Oct 16) in relation to the death of full-time national serviceman Edward Go, said the police in a statement today. 

The 19-year-old had died after battling a blaze in a Henderson Road rental flat on Dec 8, 2022.

He was the first firefighter to die during a SCDF operation.

NSF Corporal Go was also posthumously promoted to the rank of Sergeant 1 last December. 

In its statement today, the police said they conducted an investigation into the facts and circumstances leading to Go's death, and found that his then-superior had allegedly left him alone in the housing unit to fight the fire "without informing anyone of this fact". 

The autopsy certified the cause of Go's death to be "suffocation due to depleted air cylinder". 

"The investigations did not find any evidence to suggest that Go’s death was due to equipment failure," said the police.

The officer will be charged in court for causing grievous hurt by a rash act which endangers life or the personal safety of others under Section 338(a) of the Penal Code 1871. 

If convicted, the offence is punishable with imprisonment of up to four years, or a fine of up to $10,000 or both.

Go's parents have been informed of the outcome of the investigation, said SCDF. 

Another officer referred for 'departmental action': SCDF 

The police have also separately referred another SCDF officer for "departmental action", said the SCDF in their statement on Saturday (Oct 14). 

This officer had "allegedly failed to adequately ensure the overall safety of the firefighting operation" when he arrived and took over command and control of the incident. 

"If our investigation finds that this officer had contravened SCDF's doctrine on firefighting or standard operating procedures during the incident, we will take disciplinary action against him," the SCDF statement said. 

The officer has since been re-deployed to a non-supervisory and non-operational post pending the outcome of the investigation. 

The SCDF also noted that Go's then-superior, who will be charged on Monday, had allegedly left him alone in the flat to fight the ongoing fire, contrary to SCDF's firefighting doctrine, and "failed in his responsibility to ensure SGT1 Edward's safety".

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Following the Henderson Road blaze incident, SCDF convened an Internal Review Group to conduct a detailed after-action review.

In this review, over 260 firefighting operations from January 2021 to December 2022 which involved the use of at least one firefighting waterjet were audited. 

"The audit found that the operations had been conducted competently and safely, although there were occasional individual lapses, not uncommon in a dynamic situation like a firefighting operation," said the SCDF. 

To reduce the instances of such lapses, the SCDF shared it would be introducing additional measures to enhance safety on the ground during fire incidents. 

One of these include the introduction of a breathing apparatus control point (BACO) for monitoring the deployment of firefighters and check on their personal protective equipment before they enter the scene of the fire. 

The BACO is typically set up for larger and more complex fires, but has been introduced for smaller fires since Sept 18 this year. 

We take responsibility for this: SCDF Commissioner 

In light of the results of the investigation, SCDF Commissioner Eric Yap said during a doorstop interview at the SCDF HQ in Ubi on Saturday evening that the agency "feels very deeply for Sergeant Edward's parents".

"It must have been very difficult for them throughout this period, not least today, with the conclusion of the police's investigation. We will continue to provide them with every support and assistance they need." 

Yap also noted in a message sent to all SCDF personnel: "We will not shy away from the findings. We take responsibility for this, and will set things right." 

During the media doorstop, Yap elaborated that SCDF has also taken measures to enhance operational procedures on the ground, including the closer monitoring of personnel deployed for firefighting operations, and conducting equipment checks before entering a fire. 

"The safety of our officers, will always remain top priority, even as we carry out out mission of saving lives and property," said Yap. 

READ ALSO: 'Bright and brave' NSF firefighter who died battling Henderson Road blaze aspired to go to medical school

claudiatan@asiaone.com