PMD fires becoming more of a concern in S'pore, don't use illegal PMDs bought online: Chee Hong Tat

Another warning about the fire hazards of illegal personal mobility devices (PMDs) has been sounded by a Cabinet minister.

Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat said at a community event that PMD fires are becoming more and more of a concern in Singapore and residents should not use illegal PMDs bought online. Their batteries are unsafe, and may overheat and catch fire during charging.

"Always buy from the proper shops. Don't go and 'zhng' your device... Use the original approved batteries for your own safety," he added, using the Hokkien term for modify.

Mr Chee, who is an MP for the Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, was speaking at the Community Resilience Day event held at Plaza@128 in Toa Payoh on Oct 19.

In the event of a PMD-related fire, residents may not be able to put out PMD fires on their own, as their batteries continue to have a lot of heat, he said.

"Don't take on PMD fires on your own because the fire extinguishers that we have and the hose for common areas may not be suitable or enough to deal with PMD fires."

As part of the new Better Awareness, Safer Homes campaign, Mr Chee said town councils will increase inspections of HDB estates' common areas, as well as promptly address cases reported through the OneService App.

Town council representatives and community emergency preparedness units formed in each constituency have been trained in hazard detection, and will step up block surveys of common areas to identify facilities requiring maintenance.

The campaign comes in the wake of increasing fire incidents in residential areas.

Minister for Home Affairs K. Shanmugam said in September that there have been 187 fires involving active mobility devices (AMDs) over the last five years.

Of these, about 46 per cent involved personal mobility devices (PMDs), 42 per cent involved power-assisted bicycles (PABs) and 12 per cent involved personal mobility aids (PMAs).

Mr Shanmugam said about half of the fires happened during charging of the devices.

The Better Awareness, Safer Homes campaign, which focuses on raising awareness of fire safety within homes and common areas, was created by the National Fire and Emergency Preparedness Council (NFEC), Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF), and People's Association (PA).

It seeks to educate the public on the top three causes of residential fires, which are electrical fires in and outside homes, as well as clutter and dumping in common areas such as stairwells and corridors.

Fire hazards identified include unattended cooking, electrical overloading, and the use of non-compliant active mobility devices within homes, as well as obstruction in corridors and void decks.

Mr Chee said at the event: "If you see any neighbours with hoarding cases, do let us know as well, and we'll work together with the agencies."

Some of these residents may have mental wellness concerns and need more help to keep the community safe, he added.

Mr Chee also highlighted the three 'P's of fire safety: taking precautions to prevent fires; being prepared for emergencies, such as learning how to use the fire extinguisher; and partnering SCDF, HDB, and other agencies.

"If you wait until the emergency happens, it's too late," he said

Homeowners are encouraged to use the Home Fire Safety Checker on NFEC's website.

The event, which was organised by the Bishan-Toa Payoh and Marymount community emergency preparedness units, featured a PMD fire safety scenario drill and evacuation exercise.

Two other Bishan-Toa Payoh MPs, Mr Cai Yinzhou and Ms Elysa Chen, also joined the event, where residents tried their hand at cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), first aid, and using a fire extinguisher.

Mr Chee encouraged residents to gain hands-on experience in these life-saving skills, as well as participate in SCDF's Responders Plus Programme for comprehensive training.

After receiving the relevant training, members of the public can register as a community first responder through SCDF's myResponder app, or join the PA Community Emergency Response Team.

Community first responders are volunteers who receive alerts from the app to assist in cases of cardiac arrests and minor fires.

At the Toa Payoh event, 24 community first responders were recognised for their contributions.

Addressing residents, Mr Chee said: "Every skill that you learn today, every safety check that you perform, contributes to this more resilient community."

"I hope that we work together to keep our homes and our community safe and resilient."