Running in a gas mask, unlocking handcuffs in the dark: The road to joining Singapore's elite prison force
One man was left standing after eight hours and 10 tests designed to pick officers for the Singapore Prisons Emergency Action Response or SPEAR unit.
The participants work together as a team to carry a dummy and weighted bag through a series of obstacles. (Photo: CNA/Marcus Mark Ramos)
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SINGAPORE: "You want to let a muscle cramp defeat you? … You go back, you're going to regret."
Shouts of encouragement like these echoed through Changi Prison Complex on Tuesday (Oct 1), as Singapore's elite prison security force selected its next batch of officers.
After close to eight hours and a total of 10 physically and mentally demanding tasks, one candidate remained for the Singapore Prisons Emergency Action Response (SPEAR) unit.
Four others were assessed by an on-site medical doctor, at various stages of the day, to be unfit to continue.
This process is only open to prison officers and conducted three times a year. An average of 20 to 25 people take part annually, and the pass rate stands at 30 per cent.
CLIMBING STAIRS WITH WEIGHTS
The original inception of SPEAR, back in 1977, was the Special Action Prisons Unit. It was trained by the first commando battalion of the Singapore Armed Forces.
SPEAR was later officially established in 1990. Today, it has 70 officers in its ranks.
During a behind-the-scenes look on Tuesday, members of the media observed prospective SPEAR officers participants tackle the 10 stages - comprising five individual physical assessments, three cognitive tests and two team challenges.
The day started at 7.30am with a regular Individual Physical Proficiency Test (IPPT) of push-ups, sit-ups and a 2.4km run.
One candidate was unwell and dropped out here.
Next up would have been a 500m standard obstacle course including the likes of monkey bars and a high wall - but was disrupted due to the rain.
Then came what was dubbed a "rappelling tower vertical ascent", which involved climbing seven flights of stairs while hand-carrying two weights totalling 15kg.
The candidates then switched to cognitive challenges - to separate a dummy pistol locked by a handcuff.
The catch? This was done in the dark, save for an occasional light from a handheld source.
It was back to physical tests after - a 2km run while wearing a respirator or gas mask as well as a 8.5kg weighted vest; then a 400m sprint uphill.
They then rounded off the individual assessments with a memory test and a psychometric one with almost 60 questions to determine their habits, perceptions and responses to various work situations.
A DAY IN THE LIFE OF A SPEAR OFFICER
Completing the day-long selection process does not mean passing it. The benchmark for passing is not typically revealed.
Speaking to media on the sidelines of the selection process, chief warder and SPEAR trainer Toh Hengli said successful candidates will then be invited to a tactical course that lasts for over 20 weeks.
This course teaches more specialised skills such as handling different weapons. Only those who pass will become SPEAR officers.
SPEAR officers undergo daily physical training for their jobs, which can involve relocating "difficult" inmates such as those who are violent or have improvised weapons, or escorting high-risk inmates facing capital charges to places such as the courtroom.
Some officers are also trained to perform caning.
SPEAR may also be activated to help their colleagues at the prisons, though this maybe happens just once every fortnight, said Toh.
At times, this could be when a fight breaks out - though in such cases, the initial response will be by prison officers on site.
If activated, SPEAR officers will walk the ground to show their presence and as a form of "deterrence", so small fights don't escalate into big brawls or worse.
According to the Singapore Prison Service's latest statistics, the assault rate for FY2023 was 53.8 per 10,000 inmates.
Assault cases include attacks by inmates on prison officers or on fellow inmates, with victims sustaining serious injuries.
In 1963, four officers were killed in what remains the only publicly known prison riot in Singapore. It took place in an open-air, now-defunct jail compound on Pulau Senang island, and led to 18 men convicted of murder and sentenced to hang.
LAST MAN STANDING
The latter half of Tuesday's selection process was dedicated to the two team assessments.
First, the candidates had to transport an "injured" dummy weighing at least 10kg through the same obstacle course they previously encountered during the individual assessment.
After that, all that was left was a 3km ruck march while lugging along the same dummy on a stretcher, a weighted hand-carry and a 20kg backpack.
By the end of this last task, however, three participants withdrew, leaving one man standing: Sergeant Fariduddin Shahruddin.
He will find out later this week if he passed the selection.
Ahead of the tests, SGT Fariduddin trained for six months and bought equipment such as a weighted vest to practice running in.
The 27-year-old felt he could have done even better if he had trained more for the gas mask run as well as the vertical ascent.
On his fellow candidates dropping out, he said: "I wanted them to join me ... We started together so might as well just go through it and end together."
As SGT Fariduddin wrapped up his interview with the media, a SPEAR officer was seen writing the letters "FAIL" on a whiteboard.
This stands for First Attempt In Learning, the officer told the unsuccessful candidates. He encouraged them to tell themselves that they had gone through "the best workout" and that they were "going to come back stronger".
"Change your story," he said.
