SCDF issues warning to Jurong-Clementi Town Council after officers unable to use hose reels during fire

SINGAPORE - Jurong-Clementi Town Council was issued a warning by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) after its officers were unable to use the fire hose reels when a fire broke at a Bukit Batok block last week.

The fire broke out on Nov 1 at around 4.30am on the 13th floor unit of Block 210A, Bukit Batok Street 21.

Three people were taken to the Singapore General Hospital for burn injuries and smoke inhalation.

In a statement issued on Friday (Nov 8), the SCDF said the fire had to be extinguished using water from SCDF's emergency vehicles after its officers found a few hose reel cabinets in the block locked with padlocks.

After breaking one of the padlocks, there was no water supply for the hose reel inside the cabinet.

SCDF said that town councils are responsible for the maintenance and proper functioning of their estates' fire safety measures.

Later on the day of the fire, SCDF inspected the fire hose reels with representatives from the town council, which was then issued with Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHAN) under SCDF's framework for dealing with non-compliance with fire safety requirements.

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The notices are warnings issued that require town councils to fix the non-compliance.

Should the SCDF detect non-compliance issues of the same nature during a re-inspection, the town council would receive a notice of a composition fine of up to $5,000 or even prosecution.

During various re-inspections of the affected hose reels over the course of the week, SCDF verified that the fire hose reels are accessible and in working order.

"SCDF takes a serious view of fire safety and will not hesitate to take action against any non-compliance with fire safety requirements," it said.

The Straits Times has contacted the town council for comment.

This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.