By Teh Jen Lee
October 18, 2005
EVERY year, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) gives out
awards to its best teams.
This year, the best MRT shelter team award went to... The
non-operational Buangkok station.
That's right.
When told about the award, Member of Parliament Charles Chong
(Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC), who has been pushing hard for the station
to be opened, thought it was a joke.
'No kidding? Well, it's not surprising because there aren't many
people to evacuate,' said Mr Chong.
He added in jest: 'Such drills are often done during
non-operational hours but even if it is done during peak hours,
Buangkok will win.'
Residents living near the Buangkok station were also surprised to
hear about the award.
Madam Susan Lim, 43, a school-bus assistant, said: 'It's quite
strange because the station is not being used yet. But maybe it's a
positive sign that the station will be opened soon.'
Others wondered how the station could be used as a bomb shelter
when commuters only pass by in trains and cannot alight there at
present.
Also, people would not think of going to Buangkok to look for
shelter if a real emergency happened now because it is widely known
that the station is closed.
However, the SCDF said the criteria for choosing the winning MRT
shelter company had nothing to do with the station's operational
status.
An SCDF spokesman said the main factor in determining which MRT
shelter team qualifies as the best is how it converts the stations
from their peacetime modes into operational shelters for civil
defence.
Other criteria include the management of people and operation of
necessary equipment within the shelters.
He said: 'These are criteria that are separate and independent of
the operability of the MRT station.
'In fact, the tests and exercises within the shelters are done in
the early morning, when the MRT stations see minimum
activity.'
This is to avoid causing inconvenience and undue alarm to members
of the public.
The spokesman added that the SCDF conducts about 20 exercises
involving MRT shelter teams each year.
Buangkok resident Richard Quek, a general manager in his 40s, said
he didn't even know about the award, which was given at the SCDF's
Civil Defence Day Parade.
'But it's not surprising that Buangkok won,' he said.
'It has an advantage compared to other operational stations because
there are no barriers to manage people flow there. It's empty so
it's easy to stage anything there.'
The station may have the best shelter team, but until it opens,
there's no way of telling whether it will fulfil its purpose as a
civil defence shelter in case of a real-life emergency.
To this end, MP Charles Chong had a cheeky suggestion.
'SCDF might as well convert Buangkok station to a civil defence
shelter now, in case it is needed for an emergency. At least it
would be serving a purpose rather than just sitting there,' he
said.