New measures introduced to improve safety and security on Pulau Ubin

KENNETH CHENG Today Online 17 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE — With more visitors descending on Pulau Ubin in recent times, crime prevention, fire safety and safe cycling tips will be dished out to islanders and visitors as part of a new safety and security initiative launched on the island this morning (Jan 17).

The Pulau Ubin Safety and Security Team (SST) will be stationed at the island's public jetty and the Chek Jawa Wetlands every third Sunday of each month, spreading the word on crime prevention, fire safety and safe cycling habits. The team is also trained to keep a lookout for criminal activity, serving as the police's eyes and ears on the ground.

The team, which began their patrols last December, is composed of grassroots volunteers from the Changi Point-Ubin Area Sub Committee and the Siglap Community Emergency and Engagement Committee as well as Civil Defence Lionhearters from Temasek Polytechnic and ITE College East.

The SST draws on a pool of between 30 and 40 volunteers, with about 10 volunteers patrolling alongside police and Singapore Civil Defence Force officers each time the team is deployed on the island, a police spokesperson told reporters at the launch, which was attended by Senior Minister of State (Defence and Foreign Affairs), Dr Mohamad Maliki Osman.

As part of its efforts to impart safe cycling tips, the SST will remind cyclists to dismount and push their bicycles at dangerous spots, such as steep slopes, and to don appropriate safety gear.

Pulau Ubin, which draws about 2,000 visitors to its shores every weekend, is a known hotspot for cycling accidents. In January last year, TODAY reported that the National Parks Board (NParks) was considering the possibility of establishing a first-aid facility there, as interest in cycling on the island grows.

Last July, the Singapore Red Cross (SRC) set up a temporary first-aid post on the island, as part of its First Aiders on Wheels programme. The first-aid post, manned by SRC volunteers and staff, operates every public holiday.

Civil Defence Lionhearter Norfikah Samsudin, 21, who is part of the SST, felt it was important to promote safe cycling on the island, because some cyclists do not heed the warning signs put up at dangerous spots, resulting in injuries.

"The (cycling) tracks here are not really that ... (even)," said the second-year facility management student at ITE College East.

Pulau Ubin visitors to get safety, security tips
KENNETH CHENG Today Online 18 Jan 16;

SINGAPORE — With Pulau Ubin drawing about 2,000 visitors each weekend and more people making trips there in recent times, tips on crime prevention, fire safety and safe cycling will be given to islanders and visitors as part of a new safety and security initiative launched today (Jan 17).

A recently-formed Pulau Ubin Safety and Security Team will be stationed near the island’s jetty and outside the Chek Jawa Wetlands, every third Sunday of each month, to help create awareness on these concerns.

The team, which began patrols in December, is made up of grass roots volunteers from the Changi Point-Ubin Area Sub-Committee and the Siglap Community Emergency and Engagement Committee, as well as the Civil Defence Lionhearters from Temasek Polytechnic and ITE College East.

There are about 30 to 40 volunteers, with about 10 of them patrolling alongside police and Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers each time it is deployed on the island, a police spokesperson told reporters at the launch.

The team builds on the Ubin Community on Patrol, which began patrols on the island in 2009 to promote safe cycling practices. Some of the safety tips that the new team will offer include reminding riders to dismount and push their bicycles when they arrive at dangerous spots, such as steep slopes, and to wear proper safety gear.

Madam Doreen Ling, 61, a retiree on the team, noted that six in 10 cyclists would heed advice to rent a helmet, while others were wary that it could be unhygienic. Student volunteer Norfikah Samsudin, 21, recalled how in December, a cyclist ignored their advice to dismount and push his bicycle near Chek Jawa Wetlands, where tracks are quite uneven, and ended up falling and injuring his knee.

The team members, who underwent a one-day training programme conducted by the police and SCDF, also impart fire safety and crime prevention advice to visitors and residents by means of patrols and house visits.

Madam Ling said that members were trained to detect signs — such as persons in drenched clothes particularly on Chek Jawa Wetlands, which is adjacent to the sea — that could indicate that they may have entered Singapore’s shores illegally.

New Ubin scheme to push safety message
Lester Hio, The Straits Times AsiaOne 19 Jan 16;

Pulau Ubin now has an improved scheme where volunteers promote safe cycling habits to visitors and provide fire safety advice.

The Pulau Ubin Safety and Security Team initiative was launched yesterday at the kampung island, by the Singapore Police Force and Singapore Civil Defence Force, together with the Siglap Citizens' Consultative Committee and the National Parks Board.

The team will spread crime prevention messages and serve as the eyes and ears for the police on the island. It comprises grassroots volunteers from the Changi Point-Ubin Area sub-committee, along with members of the Civil Defence Lionhearters and Siglap Community Emergency and Engagement Committee.

This initiative is part of the Home Team's community engagement efforts on Pulau Ubin to boost safety and security there.

The team is an enhancement to the Ubin Community on Patrol initiative, formed in 2009, where volunteers patrol near Punai Hut, outside the Chek Jawa Wetlands, every third Sunday of the month.

During their patrols, these volunteers provide advice on safe cycling practices, such as dismounting and pushing bicycles on steep slopes, and wearing proper cycling gear. They are also trained to provide basic first aid, where necessary.