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Emergency Evacuation Exercise cum Book LaunchDate : 26 October 2008 Emergency Evacuation Exercise cum Book Launch 26 October 2008
At the Emergency Evacuation Exercise Golden Tremor 81, at Tampines Street 81 on Sunday 26 Oct morning, Mr Masagos Zulkifli, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Education and Home Affairs, launched the event that involved a studio apartment block with 208 units housing more than 200 senior citizens and some wheelchair-bound residents. He reminded residents that "Societies where the community comes forward to help, are generally able to recover faster and better from an emergency. In an emergency, we need to remember the weaker ones among us, such as the elderly who may not be so mobile. " "To be ready for an emergency, we need to test run. Hence, with support from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the grassroots from Tampines West have initiated the organisation of the Emergency Evacuation Exercise or EEE. Through this exercise, the Civil Defence Executive Committee or CDEC and the Community Emergency Response Team or CERT will test out their emergency plans to render assistance to our community, especially at Tampines West Constituency." he said. Mr Masagos mentioned tremors and urged residents to find out basic information about what to do during tremors. Basic information is available in the SCDF Emergency Handbook (which comes in four language editions). Residents can also learn skills from the SCDF under the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP). The SCDF also brought along the Tremorlator, a product by the Singapore Polytechnic and the SCDF. It simulated a tremor situation and helped to educate participants on the proper actions to take during and after a tremor. Mr Masagos also launched a book by a community leader under the Community Engagement Programme. "Being and staying ready for emergencies is not just being prepared for evacuation. Emergency preparedness goes beyond evacuation response plans to the psycho-social aspect, and the need to build up resilience among the community. Hence basic information on how to keep resilient would help. And this is where the tips on resilience and on psychological first aid in the book titled "Excuse Me, Can I Help You?" may come in handy. The book is an initiative of Ms Sheena Jebal Pushpalatha from ‘NuLife Care & Counselling Services’. The book covers resilience of society, with easy-to-understand advice on how to build up resilience, and includes tips on psychological first aid and listening skills. There is a condensed set of helplines, categorized under the five Community Development Councils (CDCs), for those who need help. " In conclusion, Mr Masagos urged everyone to be prepared for emergencies, stay united and keep the bonding within theTampines West community strong. Synopsis: At an emergency evacuation event on Sunday, Mr Masagos Zulkifli urged residents to be ready and come forward to help the weaker ones, especially the senior citizens and those not so mobile. He also launched a book by a counsellor and community leader that gave tips on resilience and psychological first aid. OPENING REMARKS BY MR MASAGOS ZULKIFLI, SENIOR PARLIAMENTARY SECRETARY FOR EDUCATION AND HOME AFFAIRS, AT THE EMERGENCY EVACUATION EXERCISE GOLDEN TREMOR 81, AT BLOCK 827A, TAMPINES STREET 81, ON SUNDAY 26 OCTOBER 2008, AT 9.00 AMCommunity Leaders and ResidentsLadies and Gentlemen,Good morning.Emergency Evacuation Exercise 2 In a crisis and emergency, we need to help each other. Societies where the community comes forward to help, are generally able to recover faster and better from an emergency. In an emergency, we need to remember the weaker ones among us, such as the elderly who may not be so mobile. 3 To be ready for an emergency, we need to test run. Hence, with support from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), the grassroots from Tampines West have initiated the organisation of the Emergency Evacuation Exercise or EEE. This is held here, a studio apartment block with 208 units housing more than 200 senior citizens and some wheelchair-bound residents. Through this exercise, the Civil Defence Executive Committee or CDEC and the Community Emergency Response Team or CERT will test out their emergency plans to render assistance to our community, especially at Tampines West Constituency. Tremors 4 Among the emergency situations that come to mind is one involving tremors. So far, tremors felt in Singapore have all been due to earthquakes in the region and there has been no record of a tidal-surge affecting Singapore. Nevertheless, any indication of such activity which poses a threat to Singapore will be immediately acted on by the relevant authorities such as the SCDF and the Meteorological Services. Apart from what the emergency authorities do, the community should know what to do when a tremor occurs. Basic information is available in the SCDF Emergency Handbook (which comes in four language editions). Residents can also learn skills from the SCDF under the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme or CEPP. 5 If you want to try how it’d be like in a tremor, you can try out the Tremorlator that is here today. The Tremorlator is to give the community a chance to experience the effects of tremor and also to educate them on the proper actions to be taken during and after the tremor. Just recently launched on 6 Sep, the Tremorlator is the first of its kind in Singapore. It is the product of a collaborative effort between the Singapore Polytechnic and the SCDF. Resilience Tips and Helplines in Book 6 Being and staying ready for emergencies is not just being prepared for evacuation. Emergency preparedness goes beyond evacuation response plans to the psycho-social aspect, and the need to build up resilience among the community. Hence basic information on how to keep resilient would help. And this is where the tips on resilience and on psychological first aid in the book titled "Excuse Me, Can I Help You?" may come in handy. 7 The book is an initiative of Ms Sheena Jebal Pushpalatha from ‘NuLife Care & Counselling Services’. The book covers resilience of society, with easy-to-understand advice on how to build up resilience, and includes tips on psychological first aid and listening skills. There is a condensed set of helplines, categorized under the five Community Development Councils (CDCs), for those who need help. Be Ready, Stay Ready 8 It is important for everyone – all of us - to be prepared for emergencies. So we need to learn the skills and be actively involved in emergency preparedness. With a vigilant and harmonious community, all of us will be better prepared. I urge everyone here to stay united and keep the bonding within our Tampines West community strong. Have a fruitful and fun day. TODAY Weekend - A directory that tells you exactly where to go for help:25 October 2008 Alicia Wong PEOPLE in need of public assistance often do not know where to go, and they end up bringing their children or their aged parents from one place to another, or making many calls trying to locate the right welfare organisation. Not only is this cumbersome, it also creates unnecessary spending by those who are already financially stretched, says Ms Sheena Jebal, who has spent 14 years in social services. To help such people, the founder of NuLife Care & Counselling Services has launched Singapore’s first islandwide social services directory for the public, titled Excuse me, can i help you (sic) through the support of the Community Engagement Directorate at the Ministry of Home Affairs. Currently, the National Council of Social Services and Community Development Councils have an online directory. But Ms Jebal’s directory takes a step further with its comprehensiveness. It includes details on helplines, counselling centres, shelter homes, even MPs’ meet-the-people sessions and schools. Ms Jebal said that, before starting this project, "I didn’t even know we had eight to 10 shelters for women. This book will exactly identify where those with a specific problem should go. There are many organisations around us, but it doesn’t necessarily mean they can help us," she said. The directory categorises the centres by their target groups, such as "elderly", "ex-offenders" and "health." Contact details are also included. More importantly, said Ms Jebal, the directory organises information according to the Group Representation Constituency, so that people can seek help at the right locations. Some needy individuals also end up engaging lawyers privately because they do not know if they qualify for legal assistance, she added. By including the locations of legal clinics, the directory shows where the needy can check if they qualify for legal aid. Grassroots leaders can also use the book when they refer the needy to the relevant help centres, she pointed out. The directory, which will be launched this Sunday, is sold at all Popular bookstores for $11.90. Proceeds will go to reprinting and marketing costs, said Ms Jebal, who intends to update the directory annually. (With thanks to TODAYonline.com) Note : No reproduction or downloading of this article is allowed in any medium. Permission has to be obtained from TODAY. |
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