Singapore is a fairly small island nation and if we were to be attacked by an enemy, there aren’t a lot of places that we can actually run to and hide.
So, in the event of an attack, such as the CGI-rendered starting scene in the first Ah Boys to Men movie, it is crucial to have safe and secure locations where we can take shelter quickly while our brave army pick up arms and defend the country.
3 New TEL MRT Stations will Serve As Emergency Shelters in the Event of an Attack
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) has recently revealed that they have added three more emergency shelters, thanks to the completion of the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) Stage 2.
These three shelters encompass the Lentor, Mayflower and Bright Hill MRT stations.
This brings the total number of civil defence shelters up to an impressive 584.
Out of the 584 shelters, 52 of them are underground MRT stations.
Though, many of them are located in schools, community centres, and some public buildings as well.
It’s good to know that if there’s a bombing or a chemical attack, there are actually safe places that we can head to and that are close-by enough for us to, hopefully, make it in one piece.
How Does the Shelter Work?
Similar to all the other shelters, these three new ones are also top-of-the-line.
They feature reinforced air vents that can be closed in case of chemical attacks, minimising the amount of contaminated air entering the shelter by restricting the airflow in and out of the shelter.
Naturally, it’s impossible to completely eliminate airflow, unless the goal is to suffocate the people in the shelters, but by greatly reducing the entry of contaminated air, it is possible to reduce potential chemical exposure to safe levels.
But of course, that all depends on the cooperation of the people entering the shelter since they will have to remove all their clothes, and decontaminate themselves using special wipes in the cubicles provided.
Once done, everyone will then be provided with a set of clothes to wear.
But well, you know, for some, trying to pry away someone’s Gucci or Prada from them is like a death sentence… so how well this will work remains to be seen.
The shelter also comes with a heavy blast door, and if the attack isn’t chemical in nature, there are platform doors that will be opened to allow more people to take shelter in the parked trains at the station.
The SCDF even provided a demonstration to the media, showing how the Bright Hill shelter work.
Once the attack commenced, members of the public will be required to seek shelter at the designated emergency shelter closest to them.
They will enter the shelter via a side door and will be required to do a decontamination process.
Once done, they will then head down the escalators to a platform where there are boxes drawn on the floor.
Here, people are expected to be split into groups and will be required to stay in their groups. No intermingling is allowed between groups.
After all, each shelter can house thousands of people and you can probably imagine the mayhem if most people decided to not follow simple instructions.
During an attack, it’s also natural to be afraid and hence, feel the call of nature more often.
These shelters are equipped with dry toilets for people to use.
Everyone will also be provided with an absorbent mat, dry tissue paper, wet wipes and a disposal bag for use.
Instructions on how to use them will be provided as well.
So, know that if Singapore really came under attack one day, your safety will be assured… provided that you can make it into one of these shelters in time.
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Featured Image: Facebook (Anindya Bhattacharya)