K. JANARTHANAN
Looking back at 17 years on the front lines of fire rescue operations, one incident stands out for Singapore Civil Defence Force officer, Captain Gangadevi Rountan.
In 2007, the 37-year-old was responding to a fire in a Yishun flat, where a mother and her five-year-old daughter were trapped in different parts of the home.
“I could clearly hear the mother screaming for us to save her daughter when she heard us calling out for survivors. My team then searched for the girl while others went towards the voice of the mother,” she said.
Capt Ganga soon found the terrified girl hugging a sink tightly and crying.
“When I held out my hand, she was too terrified to move towards me. I had to coax her out of the spot.”
After pulling her to safety, Capt Ganga comforted the little girl and calmed her down. She witnessed later on the child being reunited with her mother in an embrace – a scene Capt Ganga described as “unforgettable”.
That episode, she said, highlighted the intensity of emotions sometimes involved in firefighting and rescue operations. And, when she relayed such stories to her family and friends, they gradually understood why she chose such a “risky” profession.
Growing up, Ms Ganga was “the most playful child” among three children.
“I was not a very obedient or studious person. Sports was always my escape, but my parents, like many other parents, often nagged me to pay attention to my studies,” she said.
Her parents did not completely discourage her from partaking in sports, however. While in Primary 6, Capt Ganga was recruited by a local football club to be part of its girls’ team. At 13, she was selected for the national Under-18 side.
Later, Capt Ganga attained a diploma in sports and wellness management, all the while keeping up with her extra-curricular activities, which included dance and volunteering with various community service programmes.
These programmes, she said, inspired her to look for a career that entailed helping others.
“My mother also advised me that, given my personality, I should look for a job that was not ‘deskbound’.
“I was aiming to be an SCDF paramedic at first, but there was no opening at the time. Later, I tried out for the Fire and Rescue Specialist track, which I thought was equally interesting,” she said.
Capt Ganga joined the SCDF in 2006, while continuing with her higher education.
She went on to complete her bachelor’s degree in management with law in 2011, and then a masters in public administration in 2021.
She met her husband in the SCDF while they were training together.
“We had the privilege to see and experience each other’s ups and downs in a work setting, and fell in love,” she said. The couple married in 2009 and have two daughters aged 13 and 11.
Over the years, Capt Ganga has been called upon to tackle multiple fires, and she looks back on her career with much satisfaction.
Gradually, she has also changed the minds of family members and friends who were sceptical about her non-conventional career choice initially.
“They are all now very supportive of my career in the SCDF, better appreciating its noble mission of saving lives and property,” she said.
“I believe that with the right training and attitude, you can develop the skills and ability to perform the role of an emergency responder – be it as a paramedic or a fire and rescue specialist.”
