SINGAPORE: A fire engine accessway leading to the Henderson Road block where a fire broke out last month was blocked by a funeral wake tent, leading to a delay in firefighters' response to the blaze.
This was revealed by Minister of State for the Ministry of Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in Parliament on Monday (Jan 9).
A 19-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF), Edward H Go, fell unconscious while fighting the fire and died in hospital. He was the first firefighter to have lost his life during an operation by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Responding to a question by MP Murali Pillai (PAP-Bukit Batok) about the challenges SCDF faced during the firefighting operation on Dec 8, Associate Professor Faishal said the obstruction by a tent at a funeral wake delayed SCDF's arrival by 18 minutes.
"The officers removed the bollards that were padlocked to the ground near the tentage to create an access path. This delayed their arrival by 18 minutes," he told the House.
"Based on the ground commander’s assessment of the resources needed for the operation, 22 emergency vehicles and 61 responders from six fire stations were deployed to the incident."
He added that about 40 per cent of the responders were national servicemen. The remaining 60 per cent were regular officers.
Sergeant 1 Edward H Go was accorded a ceremonial funeral on Dec 13 and posthumously promoted from the rank of corporal.
"The police are currently conducting an independent, thorough investigation into the circumstances of SGT1 Edward’s demise, and will apprise the Coroner of its findings," said Assoc Prof Faishal.
"At this stage, it is premature to determine the factors which contributed to SGT1 Edward’s death. The Coroner will consider the police’s investigation findings, in determining the cause of death," he added, noting that authorities are unable to provide further details at this point due to ongoing investigations.
"SCDF will seek to understand what had happened, including if standard operating procedures and protocols had been followed, and how these may need to be tightened to keep the officers as safe as possible when they serve our nation."
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This was revealed by Minister of State for the Ministry of Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim in Parliament on Monday (Jan 9).
A 19-year-old full-time national serviceman (NSF), Edward H Go, fell unconscious while fighting the fire and died in hospital. He was the first firefighter to have lost his life during an operation by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
Responding to a question by MP Murali Pillai (PAP-Bukit Batok) about the challenges SCDF faced during the firefighting operation on Dec 8, Associate Professor Faishal said the obstruction by a tent at a funeral wake delayed SCDF's arrival by 18 minutes.
"The officers removed the bollards that were padlocked to the ground near the tentage to create an access path. This delayed their arrival by 18 minutes," he told the House.
"Based on the ground commander’s assessment of the resources needed for the operation, 22 emergency vehicles and 61 responders from six fire stations were deployed to the incident."
He added that about 40 per cent of the responders were national servicemen. The remaining 60 per cent were regular officers.
Related:
Sergeant 1 Edward H Go was accorded a ceremonial funeral on Dec 13 and posthumously promoted from the rank of corporal.
"The police are currently conducting an independent, thorough investigation into the circumstances of SGT1 Edward’s demise, and will apprise the Coroner of its findings," said Assoc Prof Faishal.
"At this stage, it is premature to determine the factors which contributed to SGT1 Edward’s death. The Coroner will consider the police’s investigation findings, in determining the cause of death," he added, noting that authorities are unable to provide further details at this point due to ongoing investigations.
"SCDF will seek to understand what had happened, including if standard operating procedures and protocols had been followed, and how these may need to be tightened to keep the officers as safe as possible when they serve our nation."
Related:
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