On Civil Defence Day, 15th September 2008 (Monday), the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will be sounding the " Important Message" signal at 12.05pm through the island-wide network of the Public Warning System (PWS) sirens. Members of the public are advised not to be alarmed by the minute-long sounding exercise.

2. The sounding of the PWS is part of SCDF’s public education efforts aimed at familiarising the public with the three PWS signals and to raise general awareness on how the public should react upon hearing each signal. Besides the " Important Message" signal (characterised by pulsating blasts), the two other PWS signals are the " Alarm" and the " All Clear" signals, which are characterised by wailing blasts and continuous blasts respectively. Please see below for more information on the PWS.

3. When the " Important Message" signal is sounded on 15th September, members of public are encouraged to immediately tune in to local FM radio stations to listen to a special info-mercial broadcast and learn more about the various PWS signals. This is a good opportunity for the community to familiarise themselves with emergency preparedness and life-saving procedures.

4. Members of the public are also encouraged to understand more about the PWS signals and other emergency procedures by visiting the SCDF website www.scdf.gov.sg. Alternatively, they may also refer to the CD Emergency Handbook (6th Edition, pg 77) for more information or call the CD Emergency Information Hotline at 1800-286-5555.

More Information on the Public Warning System

The Public Warning System (PWS) is a network of sirens located at strategic points throughout the island. This system serves to warn the public of imminent threats that could endanger lives and property. The PWS will be used to warn the general public of attacks from the air, land or sea, as well as natural and other man-made disasters. The table below shows what the various signals mean. It would be a good idea to memorise them.

Signals	How It Sounds	Situation	What It Means
"Alarm" Signal		This is sounded when an air raid or shelling is imminent.	Move to a shelter immediately.
"All Clear" Signal		This is sounded when the threat is over.	You can leave the shelter.
"Important Message" Signal		This is sounded to alert the population to an important broadcast on the radio.	Tune in immediately to any local FM radio station.

Did you know? In order to test the system, the PWS is sounded on the first day of every month at 1200hrs. The type of signal used for the monthly sounding is the “Chime Signal”. The public is not required to take any action. Besides the monthly sounding, the PWS is also sounded during the Total Defence Day (15 February) and Civil Defence Day (15 September) each year.

For more information about the sirens used for the Public Warning System, please click here to visit the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)'s website.

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