Fewer fire engines, more light vehicles

SCDF aims to rely more on smaller vehicles which navigate narrow spaces better, and allow officers to respond more quickly

By KARAMJIT KAUR

FEWER fire engines that carry big water tanks will be used to fight fires in future. Instead, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) wants to rely more on motorcycles and light vehicles so its officers can respond to fires more quickly.

SCDF commissioner James Tan said yesterday that although the motorcycles and small vehicles do not carry water tanks, Singapore has a good number of water hydrants islandwide. He said: ""This is enough for us to tap water from. Of course, we will still deploy fire engines to places where there are not enough hydrants. But we want to gradually cut down the number of big fire engines.''

The SCDF now has 26 fire engines and 30 motorcycles or fire bikes. Mr Tan said in almost nine out of 10 cases, the bikes arrive at the scene within five minutes. In April, the SCDF also started using its very own Light Fire Attack Vehicle. The four-wheel-drive vehicle can mount kerbs and pavements, and enter narrow lanes in Housing Board estates. Unlike fire engines -- which have to remain stationary -- the new vehicles can move around the site of a fire with hoses at full blast.

Releasing the half-yearly fire-and-ambulance statistics at a media conference, Mr Tan said the SCDF responded to 2,655 fires between January and June, compared to 3,009 in the same period last year -- a drop of about 12 per cent. Despite the overall drop, the number of electrical fires and fires involving unattended cooking went up.

From 375 such fires in the first half of last year, the number jumped to 445 between January and June. Mr Tan said: ""We want to urge the public to be more careful. ""For example, people should not leave their cooking unattended. They should also not overload electrical wires and appliances.''

Some good news, he said, was that public education had led to fewer people dumping old newspapers and discarded furniture at HDB void decks and common corridors. From a high of 22 cases of fires caused by such dumping in December, the number fell to a low of three cases in April. Last month, there were four cases. He said: ""We are very happy that members of the public have responded to our appeal and we hope that they will continue to maintain good housekeeping habits.''

He also reminded people that they should not throw lighted cigarette butts onto grass patches. He said: ""Especially during the hot and dry season, this can lead to fires. ""We don't want to waste our resources fighting nci lalang mtr fires.''

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25 July 2000 - from http://straitstimes.asia1.com.sg

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