Flood already.. how the police can come ??

Take ferry ?

don’t be so siao..

Part of the Forum letter “Last week, I saw more police officers than ever for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Summit.”

1. To put on a good show for APEC, the police were most probably on standby during the APEC duration. Now they are exhausted and resting.
2. APEC show over. Since flooded road affects only locals, no urgency by police. BUt the flooded area affected Singapore’s WHO WHO. Immediate action by NEA to widen canal. If the flooded area occured in other parts of Singapore, you think NEA will spring into action within 24 hours?

Cannot be lah! Coronation Plaza there got police station wat. Police cars and station all flooded, police men cannot come out. All standing on table, scared shoes get wet.

Last time, not only got police came out to help,
but also army boys in boats to assist the people also.
How come nowadays, with fat pays and air con office,
police getting lazy or what?

I’m sure.. they have a fancy shnancy explanation / ‘reason’…

HaHaHa! You think they will come out. Wait Wait long long! Not even the radio broadcast of what happen there. This show what our government will response to problems like happen. In international event they will put up a very good show but not even helping our own people to solve this kind small issue.

cisco was there

they were at the front of the road directing the traffic. where were you at that time?

Who are behind the management teams of the auxilaries?

I am sure if it’s Chee & his sister protesting along Orchard Rd, all the King’s men will be there to stop him!

Since we are talking about rain & traffic jam here, have you noticed that the CTE, AYE, ECP, PIE, BKE, SLE, TPE & watever Es are always packed like sardines in a tin during rush hour, with or without rain? Seems like the ERP system has failed us terribly!

On one hand, the Netizens here agreed that our men in blue are over stretched, on the other hand they want the over stretched policemen to be everywhere.

Hey, the policemen never caused the flood leh, it is their overpaid masters that never take care of the Bukit Timah Residents whose area gets flooded for decades if not centuries whenever there is heavy downpour. By the way, flood is no crime, failing to take care of the flood is also not a crime i think, but there could be failure or negligence on the part of…………..

patriot

There is no rocket science needed to plan for flood prone areas, really. The planning authority just have to stipulate the minimum platform levels for any buildings to be constructed within the flood zones, based on the worst case scenario and that of the capacity of the nearest canal.

Thus, I am extremely baffled by how the newer developments along Bukit Timah Rd can be flooded, and even more dumbfounded by how basements are allowed. It is just plain lack of due diligence on the part of the planners in charge of Bukit Timah area.

no lah! maybe the police afraid of getting wet and the army boots maybe not water proof. lol.

APEC attendees were more important than those living in bukit timah. So no show from policemen to control traffic.

I concur with Ms Debbie Eisenach’s observation. I was driving along the same road around the same time. The lack of organized traffic control is both disappointing and disturbing. It raises the following questions:

1. Was the Home Team aware of the situation in Bukit Timah and elsewhere on 19 Nov 2009?

2. If no, how does the Home Team expect to be effective in dealing with greater calamity?

3. What are the SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) in such a situation? Were the SOP adhered to? Note that there is a NPP (Neighborhood Police Post) at Duke’s Road, near Flood Central.

4. If the Home Team is aware of the situation, why was there no team on the ground to maintain order and to minimize the damages and losses, e.g. by diverting traffic?

5. How many distress calls did the Home Team receive from the public? What were the response times? There was a report about a distress caller, trapped in a car for 2 hours. The police did not appear until the water receded.

6. Is this not an emergency? Are these not duties of the Home Team during an emergency?

What should have been done is that they close down the roads leading to the flooded area immediately.

The main problem: NEA never alert anyone.
Next problem: Policeman really do not have resources. If they start diverting traffic, they will have no time to attend other urgent cases. But during heavy rain, even criminals take a break.
Another problem: Too many cheapo condos in Bukit Timah, becoming like Toa Payoh! No more prime estate.

Actually a few years back during a flood, somebody made the same complaint – no police officers around to direct traffic.

In fact he even observed that the foreign construction workers near there were doing the job!

Therefore nothing much has changed over the years. Except when there are big shot meetings like IMF, APEC, etc. Or those of Chee Soon Juan and gang!

SPF and SCDF officers were activated to areas where an emergency call was made i.e. ‘person trapped in car’, ‘road traffic accident’. Where cars were merely stuck in traffic due to the flood, only TP officers were activated but they were only despatched to where there was no major flooding as their motorbikes are incapable of riding through (obviously).

14) Steve Wu on November 26th, 2009 5.20 pm

How many distress calls did the Home Team receive from the public? What were the response times? There was a report about a distress caller, trapped in a car for 2 hours. The police did not appear until the water receded.

Goint point, Steve. Not only were the police missing. The media too, it seems.
All we learned from the media was about an expensive Ferrari that got dirtied when it was partially submerged in an underground carpark.
Surely, incidents of people being trapped in cars that stalled in the swirling floodwaters would merit coverage in MSM.
Where’s the priority? Expensive cars more important than lives?
I know of a couple who were trapped in their stalled car with their young daughter and a maid. They feared for their lives — the waters were rising rapidly and they thought they were doomed to perish in a watery grave.
Only by what you might describe as a superhuman effort was the man able to open the car doors and take the family to safety.
My father used to cycle home through the flood and take us to the outhouse, perched on his shoulders. That was 50 years ago when we lived in Bukit Timah Road alongside the canal. The floodwaters along Bukit Timah Road then and now can easily drown a young child.
Looks like nothing much has been done to alleviate the flood-prone situation of a low-lying area like Bukit Timah.
MSM should devote efforts to covering human drama stories of of people in distress during a flood so that the authorities will be compelled to take action and introduce flood-alleviation measures soonest.