Channel NewsAsia - Saturday,
September 1
SINGAPORE : The Singapore Civil Defence Force will be introducing
the Emergency Planning Roadmap to the Civil Defence Executive
Committees (CDECs) with workshops for a 1,000 CDEC members starting
from October.
The aim is to ensure all constituencies are ready to handle
emergency situations.
As part of the roadmap, there will be more emergency exercises to
enhance the preparedness of the 84 CDECs across the island.
Be it a terror attack or a natural disaster, the aim is also for
CDECs to be aware of their own facilities which they can use during
emergencies.
Dr Teo Ho Pin, Chairman, GPC for Home Affairs and Law, says:
"Generally the residents welcome initiatives to better equip
themselves to respond to emergencies. But I would say that we need
to do more, to make sure everyone builds into their system so that
there is a emergency preparedness culture within our
residents."
And to boost that culture, a Community Engagement Programme-Ready
certificate will be given to constituencies.
But first they will have to come up with a list of key grassroots
and religious leaders to address any communal tensions.
They will also have to develop their own emergency response plan to
such tensions.
The activities which mark the start of Homeland Security Month also
drives home the message that Singapore needs to be prepared for
more than a physical emergency.
Lim Swee Say, Minister, Prime Minister's Office, says: "We're
getting ready not just in the form of recovering, in terms of the
physical damages or damage to our lives. But more importantly how
do we prepare ourselves to ensure that the trust in the community,
the bond in the community can be preserved, can be
protected."
An online tool has also been created at the SCDF for the public to
make an assessment of how ready they really are when an emergency
strikes. - CNA/ch
