Educate public properly on warning sirens for better emergency response

The Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) Public Warning System sirens are activated at noon. “Crawlers” on television channels will appear, advising the public to tune in immediately to any local radio station for a brief message by SCDF on the system and its various signals and meanings.

This has been done for years, but its effectiveness in raising public awareness and educating them on the significance of the different signals remains to be seen.

The regular sounding of sirens without proper public education may lead to a “cry-wolf” mentality among the public, and this can be disastrous at times of need.

Requiring us to drop everything we are doing just to turn on the radio when we hear the siren is not practical in today’s busy lifestyles. Moreover, these sirens are sounded at noon, when many people are at work.

And choosing radio as the medium to convey the SCDF’s message is suboptimal, because radio listeners comprise only a fraction of the public, becoming another barrier to public education.

The SCDF should therefore review its modus operandi. One way is to buy television advertisements to demonstrate to the public how each signal mode sounds, and what they each mean.

Another way is to upload the same advertisement on YouTube, or send text messages to mobile phone users that could link to the clip on YouTube. This will allow the public to educate themselves in their own time and at their own convenience.

If they are properly educated during peacetime, the public can better respond when the sirens sound during emergencies.