If you’re living in a HDB (Housing & Development Board) public rental flat, listen up. You’re entitled to have 1 smoke detector installed for free.
Only if you don’t already have one, that is.
This is thanks to a new initiative by Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) called the Home Fire Alarm Device (HFAD) Assistance Scheme.
Eligible residents will receive a letter containing instructions to register for an installation date. This scheme is only valid until 2021.
According to The Straits Times, 12,000 HDB rental flats have already received their free installations since June 2018.
The scheme was first rolled out in the estates with more elderly occupants. SCDF is also actively making home visits to encourage residents to install smoke detectors.
This is to ensure that residents living in all 60,000 HDB public rental flats know they are eligible for this scheme — provided that they don’t have a smoke detector installed yet.
Eligible residents will be notified by a letter. Then, you can follow instructions on the letter to register for an installation date.
If you’re aged 21 and above and are staying in a HDB public rental flat without a smoke detector, you can request for installation yourself too.
You can do it via the following:
In an interview with The Straits Times, Ang Mo Kio resident Mr Gilroy Chan pointed out that some people are hesitant to request for installation because they think it’ll take a long time.
They also think a smoke detector is hard to maintain.
He was quoted as saying,
The installation only took a few minutes, and the batteries are supposed to last for 10 years, so you don’t need to do much.
Smoke detectors are usually installed on the ceiling in living rooms or corridors that lead to exits.
Currently, it is only mandatory for new residential homes – including HDB flats – to install smoke detectors from June last year.
Even so, SCDF strongly encourages homeowners and tenants to have one installed for their own safety.
We should all realise the importance of having smoke detectors. They can automatically detect and warn us of smoke. This useful function will save lives when there’s a fire.
Featured image from 99.co and 99.co.
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