From tackling gunman situations to bomb threats: How she’s protecting Singapore’s security as a first responder

Sergeant (SGT) Nur Fidiyanita Rafidi has her eldest sister to thank for fuelling her interest in seeking a career as a Singapore frontliner.

“My sister works as a Primary Screening Officer (PSO) at the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA). Her sharings of her job scope and unique role in balancing both the security and connectivity of Singapore inspired me to also pursue a career with ICA,” says SGT Fidi.

The 30-year-old is currently undertaking the role of a Deputy Team Leader (DTL) at Tuas Checkpoint. Holding the rank of Sergeant 3, she acts as a secondary layer of checks by conducting investigations on suspicious travellers to safeguard Singapore’s borders.

She shares more about her job and talks about her dedication to gaining new knowledge to protect the nation.

As a DTL, one of my primary duties is to provide a secondary layer of checks to further process and investigate cases that have been referred by the PSOs, who are the frontline officers deployed at the immigration counters.

If there are any discrepancies found by the PSOs during primary checks, the PSO will then refer the traveller to the Secondary Team office for a secondary layer of checks and further investigations will be conducted by Team Leaders (TL) or DTLs like myself. Some referral cases include travellers who face issues during immigration and the detection of contraband items.

However, this process is set to change under ICA’s New Clearance Concept, as we have plans to fully automate immigration clearance at the passenger halls. Eventually, the primary checks done by PSOs will be replaced by automated lanes, and our officers will be trained and upskilled to undertake more investigation and profiling roles.

Besides processing cases, I also assist my TL in reviewing the deployment of officers based on real-time traffic situations at the checkpoint. I ensure that sufficient manpower is being deployed across the different zones, such as the arrival and departure areas, to provide a smoother and more seamless clearance for travellers and conveyances.

Additionally, I support checkpoint operations by manning immigration counters whenever more manpower is required due to high traffic volume, like during the school holidays.

I did not expect that an ICA officer would need to be trained in Protective Security (PS) roles. As of Jan 3, 2023, ICA has taken over the PS functions at the land checkpoints as part of the expansion of ICA’s role in border security. With this transition, ICA officers are now the first responders to any security incidents.

Officers undergo training to become the first responders to attend to and handle any security-related incidents such as gunman situations and bomb threats. Hence, being well-trained to handle security-related incidents did give me this extra boost of confidence as it provided me with not only the necessary skill sets, but also the right mindset when handling situations as a first responder. 

When I joined ICA in 2017, I was appointed the rank of Sergeant 2 and my main duty was as a PSO. I was deployed to the immigration counters to provide a secure and efficient clearance process for travellers and conveyances.

Over the years at ICA, I have been given opportunities to grow. In 2019, I became an Image Analyst and an Operations Room officer.

As an Image Analyst, my primary role was to analyse scanned images of buses entering Singapore. I had to keep a lookout for things like illegal modifications of additional petrol compartments, and also ensure that no travellers remained inside the bus after they alight for immigration, apart from the driver.

For my stint as an Operations Room officer, which is essentially the “nerve centre” of Tuas Checkpoint, I had to oversee the checkpoint’s overall traffic conditions and deploy or redeploy the team’s officers according to various situations.

Then, in 2020, I went on to further my studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and pursued a full-time degree in Public Safety and Security under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Degree Scholarship.

I always had the intention to continue my studies, and ultimately chose to take up this degree as I felt that it would allow me to boost my knowledge in my current field.

The degree, a collaboration between MHA and SUSS, includes modules on topics such as the latest emerging transnational crimes, security trends and modus operandi used by criminals.

For example, modules like Integrated Public Safety and Security taught me about security risk assessments and how to manage risks. In the checkpoint context, it is important for officers to be able to identify any potential risks that could cause disruptions to ICA’s operations so that we are able to pre-empt and prepare measures to minimise the identified risks to a more acceptable level.

Overall, I feel that the degree allowed me to have a better understanding of Singapore’s security landscape and I am able to better comprehend the importance of my role in protecting the country and community.

After completing my studies and returning to the checkpoint in May, I was assigned the role of a DTL.

I feel that learning has no limits – one should never stop trying to gain new knowledge or be afraid to take up new opportunities because there is always new information and skills to acquire. These are the little things that can help individuals when it comes to pursuing career development and growth.

I really enjoy working and interacting with travellers, especially those that show appreciation to frontline officers, like exchanging greetings with us or engaging in small talk.

One memorable story happened during my university school holiday work attachment at Woodlands Checkpoint. I was helping with crowd management at the departure bus hall when a Malaysian couple approached me in tears. The woman started explaining and showed photo evidence that her mother was critically ill and in the accident and emergency ward in Malaysia.

As I could empathise with the couple’s situation and sense their anxiety, I made the decision to usher them to the nearest PSO counter to assist with their clearance process. The couple thanked me countless times and I was glad that I could help them to the best of my abilities.

Another fun fact would be that I really enjoy seeing the sunset at work – Woodlands and Tuas Checkpoints have beautiful sunset views that never fail to put a smile on my face.

We have to possess good social awareness, have a keen eye for detail and be efficient in profiling individuals based on suspicious behaviours exhibited.

When making our rounds, we are required to be aware of our surroundings and keep an eye out for any anomalies like an unattended bag, a vehicle evading proper clearance procedures, or suspicious travellers.

There will be times when we encounter travellers who require additional assistance, such as those who are wheelchair bound or pregnant, and this is also when we will have to be proactive and go the extra mile to provide assistance.

As the guardians of Singapore’s borders, ICA officers pride ourselves as being the first line of defence to prevent any external threats from entering Singapore.

We ensure that Singapore and the community remain safe from harmful or prohibited items, as well as threats posed by criminals or terrorists, and at the same time, facilitate the cross-border trade and travel aspects of the country.

Being an ICA officer does give me a great sense of purpose and pride. I am proud to play my part in keeping Singapore a safe and secure country, as we remain connected to the rest of the world.