Tan Qiuyi Channel NewsAsia 5 May 14;
SINGAPORE: Starting on Tuesday, every household in Singapore will receive free N95 masks - right in their mailbox.
That's courtesy of a community programme by Singapore Power, SingPost, and Temasek Cares, the philanthropic arm of Temasek Holdings.
They will be distributing 1.2 million emergency preparedness "starter kits" to homes nationwide from May 6-12.
The next time a haze hits Singapore, there's unlikely to be a last-minute scramble for masks.
Staff at Singapore Power have been volunteering their time getting the 'Stay Prepared' starter kits ready for the power company's meter readers and technicians to deliver to households across the island in one week -- including the weekend.
V S Raju, deputy director of Metering Data Management at Singapore Power, said: "We want to make sure that we reach out to residents, who can actually be at home then, so we can have an opportunity to explain (the programme) to them if there's a need to."
Each starter kit contains three N95 masks. And on the back of the packet are useful numbers -- like the police, civil defence and dengue hotlines -- residents can call in case of an emergency.
The flat, folded masks may be unfamiliar as it's a one-year-old design by technology company 3M.
Helen Foo, general manager of Safety & Graphics Business at 3M Singapore, said: "It's very comfortable and easy to use, and it's flat and easy to store.
"So an N95 mask need not have to be a cup-shaped version. A flat-fold N95 mask can be just as effective as it is."
Organisers said 1.2 million kits will be distributed to reach every household.
Another 17,000 will be delivered to 144 charity homes, while 300,000 more are on standby.
But masks are just a small part of preparing for an emergency, said Temasek Cares chairman Richard Magnus.
"We want every single household to begin to think about 'where do I get additional N95 masks for other members of my family?' And once they form that habit of mind, then it will become intuitive to start preparing for unforseen events in Singapore. That's the intention too," he said.
Postal workers at Singapore Post will deliver the kits to HDB flats and high-rise apartments, while Singapore Power meter readers will cover the country's landed homes.
If kits cannot be delivered to a postal address, residents will receive delivery advice with information on where to collect their kits.
Singapore Power has also set up a hotline (1800-738-2000) for the public to get information about the delivery process. The hotline will operate from May 5 to May 24, 8am to 8pm daily.
Costing some S$4 million in total, the starter kit programme taps into a S$40 million Temasek Emergency Preparedness Fund launched in March.
- CNA/de
Free N95 masks in kits for every home
Adrian Lim MyPaper AsiaOne 6 May 14;
SINGAPORE - Every household here will receive three N95 face masks, as part of a nation-wide push to get individuals to think about being prepared for emergencies, such as haze crises and flu pandemics.
The 3M brand foldable masks are packed in a "Stay Prepared" kit that will also contain instructions in four languages on how to put them on, and useful emergency contact numbers.
A total of 1.2 million kits will be delivered to homes between today and next Monday. The initiative is led by Temasek Cares, a non-profit philantrophic arm under Temasek Holdings, in partnership with Singapore Power and Singapore Post.
Temasek Cares will be pumping in $4 million from its $40 million war chest, called the Temasek Emergency Preparedness Fund, for the mask distribution programme.
The fund was set up earlier this year to help Singaporeans prepare and deal with emergencies. Last month, a $1.5 million project to train 60 therapists to help children deal with traumatic situations, such as accidents, was also launched.
Richard Magnus, chairman of Temasek Cares, said the kits will give households an "initial stock" of masks to encourage them to plan their own contingencies.
"It's a habit of mind we want to prompt... Last June, there was a severe haze that impacted Singapore... we need to be prepared," said Mr Magnus.
The ASEAN Specialised Meteorological Centre expects this year's haze to be worse than last year's.
This is because of lower than usual rainfall expected from now till October in parts of the region and the El Nino weather pattern, which is linked to drought, said reports.
Being prepared earlier will also prevent a repeat of last June, when people scrambled to stock up on face masks.
An additional 17,000 kits will also be delivered to over 140 charity homes, and another 300,000 have been prepared on standby for needy families.
Mary Abishagam, 57, a senior administrative assistant with Singapore Power, said she will be volunteering an extra three hours every day, on top of her regular work, to help pack the kits for delivery.
"It's going to be challenging, but we will manage... We are getting people prepared and not many people have thought of keeping masks in their homes," she said cheerily.
Members of the public who wish to get more information about the delivery of the kits can call a hotline, 1800-738-2000, from today until May 24, between 8am and 8pm daily.
