If Singapore were to come under attack or face a natural disaster, how prepared would you be?

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For warnings to be effective in reducing harm, people have to be prepared and ready.

However, a report by the Institute for the Public Understanding of Risk (IPUR) in November last year showed that only 31 per cent of households in Singapore have a plan for what to do in the event of a disaster.

More worryingly, the report also found that only 18 per cent of people in Singapore actually “receive” the warning signal. This suggests that while residents may physically hear the siren wails, they are not “tuned in” to the signal and do not register its significance as a warning. This not only dulls the primary objective of the sirens but could also lead to confusion and panic in the event of an emergency.

It is worth thinking about whether siren wails are effective enough in keeping residents prepared and alert to threats.

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