Town Council Issued with Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHAN) by SCDF

[Carbon82]

5 hours ago, Ash2017 said:

alamak I dare not accuse SCDF or Town Council collaborating with contractor, so I indirectly use your big name

just wanted to see the final outcome whether by the time the SCDF goes to inspect, the problem (all) is still there for them to see or "someone or some organization" prime the contractor to take corrective measures before SCDF appear.

 

If the latter occur, then we know how independent things work.

 

My name big meh? Don't swan me lah... 😅Anyway I got your point, and the answer to your question can be found here:

Jurong-Clementi Town Council responds to reports of hose reel cabinets filled with household items

SINGAPORE - The Jurong-Clementi Town Council responded on Saturday (Nov 23) to reports of residents storing household items such as ladders and electric fans in hose reel cabinets at three Housing Board blocks.

The council said it has removed all the items in the cabinets and told residents that these spaces cannot be used for storage given the danger it poses to crews in the event of an emergency.

Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Wanbao reported on Friday that hose reel cabinets on 10 storeys across Block 422 and 423 and the carpark of Block 419 in Clementi Avenue 1 were being used to store items like mattresses, full-length mirrors, ladders and suitcases.

There were also pots, fans, chairs and paint buckets placed outside the cabinet on the 19th floor of Block 422, blocking the entrance.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), which inspected the blocks on Saturday, said it would look into the reported non-compliance and follow up with the town council to rectify it.

Putting items in hose reel cabinets or outside them could disrupt first responders in an emergency and even prevent them from using hoses in a fire.

Wanbao reported that residents said they stored household items in the cabinets because they had insufficient space at home.

A town council spokesman said: "We will continue our ongoing inspections at these and other blocks, while reminding residents that storing items in fire hose compartments is not advisable."

Residents can report fire hazards in their neighbourhood to the SCDF through the Fire Hazard Reporting line at 1800 280 0000.

The public can also lodge a report through the Fire Hazard Report Form found under the Feedback section in the SCDF website: www.scdf.gov.sg

[inlinesix]

I complained through OneService App.  Town council resolved it promptly.

[Victor68]

16 hours ago, Davidtch said:

I complained through OneService App.  Town council resolved it promptly.

So OneService App is in operation har? I lodge complaint and received acknowledgement and then it dies or natural death. I thought only the auto reply works. 

[inlinesix]

6 hours ago, Victor68 said:

So OneService App is in operation har? I lodge complaint and received acknowledgement and then it dies or natural death. I thought only the auto reply works. 

I got written reply in the app

[Carbon82]

Bukit Batok fire: Pump switch left in wrong mode

An employee of J. Keart Alliances, the contractor responsible for maintaining the fire hose reels in Bukit Batok, had left a pump switch in the wrong mode, resulting in water supply to the hose reels being cut off during a fire.

The Jurong-Clementi Town Council (JCTC) disclosed this yesterday after completing its investigations into the incident that came to light on Nov 1.

That day, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firemen had tried to use the hose reels at Block 210A Bukit Batok Street 21 to put out a blaze that started in a flat on the 13th floor. They found that the hose reels cabinet was locked, and after they broke open the locks, found that the hose reels were dry.

But this was contradicted by J. Keart, which provided signed statements from its employees asserting that the hose reels had been properly maintained. The company also submitted a video to show that the hose reels had water supply on that day.

Yesterday, the JCTC said a J. Keart employee confessed to leaving the pump room switch in the wrong mode. In its investigation report posted on its Facebook page, the JCTC said it had interviewed J. Keart employees and examined footage from closed-circuit televisions installed at the lifts of Block 210A.

It found that on the day of the fire, at about 8am, a J. Keart employee had taken one of the lifts to the top floor from which the pump room can be accessed.

On further questioning by J. Keart, the man confessed he had indeed gone into the pump room.

That was when he realised he had left the selector switch of the pump in the dormant "manual-mode" after conducting maintenance on the system two weeks before the fire. He immediately switched it to "auto-mode", which activated the pumping of the water to the hose reel system.

The JCTC said it would issue a Notice of Non-Performance to J. Keart, holding it contractually responsible for failing to ensure the hose reel system was operationally ready. Meanwhile, "J. Keart has informed JCTC that it has taken appropriate action against its employee, who will also be redeployed", the town council added.

On the day of the fire, the SCDF officers also had to force open the hose reel cabinets, which were padlocked. Addressing this, the JCTC said one of its property officers had done so as the cabinets were frequently vandalised. It added that though the officer "has provided dedicated service to JCTC over many years", he will be redeployed. Two senior officers who are his supervisors will also be penalised, said the JCTC, without giving details of the penalties.

The town council was issued Fire Hazard Abatement Notices by the SCDF for the two lapses, which Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai has since apologised for.

The JCTC said its officers had inspected the fire safety equipment in all seven wards it oversees, and found that while most were in working condition, some had been vandalised. The town council added that urgent steps were being taken to repair and replace the damaged equipment. "JCTC will not hesitate to refer persons damaging and misusing fire safety equipment to the authorities for investigation," it said.

The town council has also set up a committee comprising Mr Murali and Jurong GRC MPs Ang Wei Neng and Tan Wu Meng to look into the reliability of fire emergency equipment. The committee will consult independent experts and residents before making recommendations.

The Nov 1 fire had left a couple, in their 60s, and their son, in his 30s, with burn and smoke-inhalation injuries. The woman is still undergoing treatment in Singapore General Hospital.

JCTC said it would continue to partner community leaders to support Madam Goh and her family.

[Carbon82]

On 12/2/2019 at 8:56 AM, Victor68 said:

So OneService App is in operation har? I lodge complaint and received acknowledgement and then it dies or natural death. I thought only the auto reply works. 

Actually I used SGSecure apps before to report suspicious object, and 1 hour later, the baggage is still there!! And this was how the baggage look like:

• Dirty / Oily
• Look heavy / fully packed
• Left unattended at park with quite heavy traffic (morning)

It fits all the description of dangerous object to the dot, and yet the apps that was developed for such reporting is not working!! I ended up calling SPF for assistance... I think my name and phone number are popping up in SPF, SCDF, NEA database too often liao

[Victor68]

I think some people may feel those who complain are negative whilst those who always speak good are being positive.  Imagine everybody praise everyone while nothing gets done, wonder what will happen. Haha

[Beregond]

RIP to the lady in the bukit batok fire which the hose got no water.

she pass away ....

[Carbon82]

Looking at ST header and the fullest info about the fire safety violation, I think JCTC have a case to answer liao... 

Woman dies from injuries suffered in Bukit Batok blaze where fire hose reels could not be used

SINGAPORE - The woman injured in the Bukit Batok fire on Nov 1 - where officers were unable to use the fire hose reels - died in hospital on Monday (Dec 9), said a spokesman for the Singapore General Hospital (SGH).

The 60-year-old woman was rescued from the 13th-floor unit of Block 210A Bukit Batok Street 21 and had been receiving medical treatment at SGH for more than a month since the fire.

The woman, along with her 78-year-old husband and 27-year-old son, were hospitalised for burn injuries and smoke inhalation. The fire started at about 4am on Nov 1. 

The woman, along with her husband and son, believed to be in his 60s and his 30s respectively, were hospitalised for burn injuries and smoke inhalation. The fire started at about 4am on Nov 1. 

The hospital had earlier said her husband was discharged from hospital about a week after the fire and her son was discharged on Nov 15.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, Bukit Batok MP Murali Pillai wrote: "Friends, I regret to inform you that Mdm Goh, the Blk 210A fire victim on 1 Nov 2019, has passed away.

"Mdm Goh's family asks that their privacy be respected during this trying period. Deepest condolences to them. Wishing them strength to cope with the loss of Mdm Goh. RIP."

Mr Murali, who arrived in Berlin on Monday as part of a delegation accompanying President Halimah Yacob on her five-day state visit to Germany, told The Straits Times that he has cut short the trip.

He said he was flying back on Tuesday to Singapore to support the family, whom he has personally been in touch with over the past six weeks.

Residents who ST spoke to on Tuesday said they did not know the affected family well, but added that they had been living there for about eight years.

A neighbour a few doors away from the affected unit, Mr Low Heow Jin, 75, said he believed the woman worked as a karung guni woman as she often kept items inside and outside the unit.

The retired boat repair man said he saw the adult son come back several weeks ago with a few other people to clean up the flat and collect stuff.

The unit where the blaze took place was still boarded up and its wooden door and gate which was badly charred was locked when ST visited.

Another neighbour living on the floor above said he was in contact with the woman’s husband, but had not heard from him for a while.

Giving his name only as Mr Chan, in his 60s and unemployed, he said the father and son had been putting up at a relative's place but did not know the exact location.

On the day of the fire, Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) firemen had tried to use the hose reels at the block to put out the blaze that started in the 13th-floor flat.

They found that the hose reels cabinet was locked, and after they broke open the locks, found that the hose reels were dry.

The fire had to be extinguished using water from SCDF's emergency vehicles.

Later that day, SCDF inspected the reels with representatives from the Jurong-Clementi Town Council (JCTC). The council was issued with Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHAN) for non-compliance with fire safety requirements.

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

The town council, which the Bukit Batok single-seat ward comes under, would receive a notice of a composition fine of up to $5,000 or prosecution, should the SCDF detect non-compliance issues of the same nature during a re-inspection.

Mr Murali apologised on Nov 15 over how the fire hose reels that could not be used by firemen, telling residents that he was accountable to them as their elected representative.

He also disclosed that a contractor responsible for ensuring there is water supply to the hoses was being investigated, and that two town council officers would also be disciplined for padlocking the cabinets.

Mr Murali said the SCDF took notice of the matter on the day of the fire, and it was not a result of "anyone else drawing attention to this matter", in an apparent reference to a claim by Singapore Democratic Party chief Chee Soon Juan that the SCDF's follow-up with the town council came after he made a report.

Dr Chee, who had contested in Bukit Batok against Mr Murali in the 2016 by-election, had called on the MP to account for the matter after hearing from residents about the faulty hose reels.

On Dec 2, JCTC said its investigations showed that an employee of JKeart Alliances Pte Ltd, the contractor responsible for maintaining the fire hose reels in Bukit Batok, had left a pump switch in the wrong mode, resulting in water supply to the hose reels being cut off during a fire.

JCTC found that on the day of the fire, at about 8am, a JKeart employee had taken one of the lifts to the top floor from which the pump room can be accessed.

On further questioning by JKeart, the man confessed that he had indeed gone to the pump room. That was when he realised he had left the selector switch of the pump in the dormant "manual-mode" after conducting maintenance on the system two weeks before the fire.

He immediately switched it to "auto-mode", which activated the pumping of the water to the hose reel system.

JCTC said it would issue a Notice of Non-Performance to JKeart holding it contractually responsible for failing to ensure that the hose reel system was operationally ready.

JKeart has informed JCTC that it has taken appropriate action against its employee, who will also be redeployed.

As to why the hose reels cabinets were padlocked, JCTC said one of its property officers had done so as the cabinets were frequently vandalised.

[Carbon82]

Another case...

SCDF working with HDB, town council to rectify hazards after it faced two hitches while fighting Toa Payoh fire

SCDF also said that its firefighters had been unable to use a wet riser in Block 138C during the fire as it was not functioning, and it had on Sept 4 ordered Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council to rectify it.

In response, the town council said on Wednesday that following the fire on Aug 29, its fire protection contractor inspected the wet riser system and found that it was "working fine".

It added that the wet riser was last checked on Aug 26, three days before the fire, and that its contractor's report "showed that the wet riser system was in order".

The town council has engaged an engineer to investigate why the wet riser "had no water" on Aug 29, and findings will be shared subsequently.

SCDF said it is also investigating the cause of the malfunction and will "take further enforcement action against the responsible parties where necessary".

 

Such non-compliance should be viewed more seriously, and it should start right from the selection of maintenance contractor, reviewing the validity of  their quote (vs others) and capability to carry out the tasks in accordance to stipulated requirement under the law.

I personally find it disturbing and doubtful, just by looking at these 2 documents.

The differences between the lowest and highest quote is just too glaring. Awarding a contract to the lowest bidder in this case is the last things to do!! 

Could the huge difference be due to ambiguity in the contract scopes, technical specifications or terms and conditions? In normal case (which I used to do), the tender shall be voided, and all participating contractors to be called in (separately) to justify their quote. If necessary, the scope and technical spec to be further fine-tuned for a re-tender.

No where in this company profile mentioned Digo's capability in maintenance of fire protection system, and yet contract issued to them?!  

[Gizmore]

Any links between contractor and town council personnel?

*Take pop corn wait for show*

[Sdf4786k]

2 hours ago, Carbon82 said:

Another case...

SCDF working with HDB, town council to rectify hazards after it faced two hitches while fighting Toa Payoh fire

SCDF also said that its firefighters had been unable to use a wet riser in Block 138C during the fire as it was not functioning, and it had on Sept 4 ordered Bishan-Toa Payoh Town Council to rectify it.

In response, the town council said on Wednesday that following the fire on Aug 29, its fire protection contractor inspected the wet riser system and found that it was "working fine".

It added that the wet riser was last checked on Aug 26, three days before the fire, and that its contractor's report "showed that the wet riser system was in order".

The town council has engaged an engineer to investigate why the wet riser "had no water" on Aug 29, and findings will be shared subsequently.

SCDF said it is also investigating the cause of the malfunction and will "take further enforcement action against the responsible parties where necessary".

 

Such non-compliance should be viewed more seriously, and it should start right from the selection of maintenance contractor, reviewing the validity of  their quote (vs others) and capability to carry out the tasks in accordance to stipulated requirement under the law.

I personally find it disturbing and doubtful, just by looking at these 2 documents.

The differences between the lowest and highest quote is just too glaring. Awarding a contract to the lowest bidder in this case is the last things to do!! 

Could the huge difference be due to ambiguity in the contract scopes, technical specifications or terms and conditions? In normal case (which I used to do), the tender shall be voided, and all participating contractors to be called in (separately) to justify their quote. If necessary, the scope and technical spec to be further fine-tuned for a re-tender.

No where in this company profile mentioned Digo's capability in maintenance of fire protection system, and yet contract issued to them?!  

If like that, better do carousel liao.

lagi cheap

[Kb27]

All these TCs still don't wake up and do their job.

Every now and then got fire, then the TC get involved.

Indeed, it looks very bad for the elected MPs. Sleeping again ?

[Victor68]

Too commercialise till safety is breached is bad. Highrise buildings with high population is very high risk. Fire ladder and water pump cannot reach, when there is a major fire  ability to evacuate fast is important but more importantly, are all able to walk down the few thousand steps?

[Carbon82]

7 hours ago, Gizmore said:

Any links between contractor and town council personnel?

*Take pop corn wait for show*

Digo Construction do not even have a website hor...

 

6 hours ago, Sdf4786k said:

If like that, better do carousel liao.

lagi cheap

The issue is not with awarding a contract to the lowest bidder, but the specifications, contract scope, selection criteria and processes.

 

6 hours ago, Kb27 said:

All these TCs still don't wake up and do their job.

Every now and then got fire, then the TC get involved.

Indeed, it looks very bad for the elected MPs. Sleeping again ?

In the first place, does all the personnel who are involved in the contract awarding know what are the legal requirements and expection? There must be a reason behind the almost 10x variations between the highest and lowest bid price... 

Ensuring that job are done properly and correctly is next... 

 

5 hours ago, Victor68 said:

Too commercialise till safety is breached is bad. Highrise buildings with high population is very high risk. Fire ladder and water pump cannot reach, when there is a major fire  ability to evacuate fast is important but more importantly, are all able to walk down the few thousand steps?

I can tell you that fire safety are taken into consideration when designing high Rise building and in this aspect, our SCDF is on top of it.

 

[ktnpl]

The fire protection system also includes the smoke-free escape staircases. A lot of the door closers are tampered or spoiled without proper checks and maintenance by the managing agents. In a big fire, the residents will die of smoke inhalation or melted skin before they can evacuate to safety.

[ktnpl]

41 minutes ago, Carbon82 said:

Digo Construction do not even have a website hor...

 

The issue is not with awarding a contract to the lowest bidder, but the specifications, contract scope, selection criteria and processes.

 

In the first place, does all the personnel who are involved in the contract awarding know what are the legal requirements and expection? There must be a reason behind the almost 10x variations between the highest and lowest bid price... 

Ensuring that job are done properly and correctly is next... 

 

I can tell you that fire safety are taken into consideration when designing high Rise building and in this aspect, our SCDF is on top of it.

 

The initial checks are done by Registered Inspectors to obtain Temporary Fire Permit / Fire Safety Certificate and thereafter application for Fire Certificate is submitted annually by Fire Safety Manager and Professional Engineer. Probably what is lacking is site audits and inspection by competent authority until there is a complaint.

[Victor68]

10 hours ago, Carbon82 said:

Digo Construction do not even have a website hor...

 

The issue is not with awarding a contract to the lowest bidder, but the specifications, contract scope, selection criteria and processes.

 

In the first place, does all the personnel who are involved in the contract awarding know what are the legal requirements and expection? There must be a reason behind the almost 10x variations between the highest and lowest bid price... 

Ensuring that job are done properly and correctly is next... 

 

I can tell you that fire safety are taken into consideration when designing high Rise building and in this aspect, our SCDF is on top of it.

 

I am very sure SCDF is very well verse with all the fire codes given the majority are locals and non FT. Such codes are mainly 'imported' and incorporated to suit us. However, why then got got flammable facade that kills someone and how many waivers were issued due to non compliance and why?