3 Dec 08 Fire At Lobby in Hougang Ave 1

In my first posting, I wish to share with you my friends in life things will happen unexpectedly.

We must not adopt a mindset nothing will happen to me. In the event it happened, what do you do? Take a deep breath and remain calm.

On Wednesday 3 Dec 08 @11-55pm I was sleeping in my bedroom while my kids were watching the television. They heard the sound of the red rhino wailing past the main road, minutes later it came into my carpark. My son, Emil rush to the room to wake me up shouting fire, evacuate.

I look out of the window and the firemen were rushing to the lobby with their hoses. At this point I could smell something burning. My 3 kids and myself rush down from the 6th floor to the ground floor from another side staircase. We met another neighbour who suspect 2 youngsters they saw earlier might have thrown something on the items left there and fire lighted.

The fire was put out in 3 minutes and the wall and floor was covered with black soot and at

least 8 tiles cracked due to the heat. Shortly later, another fire appliance and police arrived.

I am glad my son Emil who is 9 yrs old is able to react quickly and get the family out of the flat.

He and his younger brother Elson witness the Emergency Prepareness Exercise at Blk 147

Serangoon North Ave 1 on 23 Nov 08. I was the Rescue Platoon Commander for the exercise which put out the fire, provide first aid and evacuated the victims. Then this fire happenened

to my own block lobby.

Residents should dispose their rubbish properly and not just leave it on the lobby.

Propose town council to install a CCTV at the lobby area and signage not to dispose items at

the lobby.