SINGAPORE: The Jurong-Clementi Town Council said on Thursday (Nov 14) that the fire hose reels over which it was issued a warning by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) had been locked to prevent vandalism.
In a statement last week, SCDF said that its firefighters were responding to a blaze at an HDB flat in Bukit Batok when they realised several of the hose reel cabinets had been padlocked.
READ: Firefighters rescue 2 people standing on ledge outside window after fire breaks out in Bukit Batok flat
Even after breaking one of the padlocks, the hose reel could not be used because there was no water supply, said SCDF.
Responding to CNA’s queries, the town council said it had locked the hose reels at Block 210A Bukit Batok because they had been “frequently misused and vandalised”.
Firefighters conducting an aerial rescue of two men found on a ledge outside the kitchen. They could not be pulled to safety inside the flat due to a “vast accumulation of items”. (Photo: Facebook/SCDF)
“As a precaution, a small padlock was used to prevent casual vandalism. We have since removed all padlocks,” said the spokesperson.
General manager of the town council, Mr Ho Thian Poh, said earlier that the fire hose reels at Block 210A had been certified to be in working condition.
They were last put through maintenance and testing on Oct 14 this year.
