Events such as the Taman Jurong Community Resilience Day 2019, which took place at the Taman Jurong Community Club on September 15, drive home the point that communities need to stay alert and prepare for safety and security threats such as terror attacks, accidents, scams and emergencies. The extensive programme featured highlights such as fire prevention, eliminating mosquito breeding areas, identifying scams, as well as rendering first aid.
An enthusiastic crowd participated in all the activities at the event, which was officiated by Guest of honour Mr Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Senior Minister and Coordinating Minister for Social Policies, and Adviser to Jurong GRC Grassroots Organisations.
All the booths featured an interactive device to get the message across in a more relatable way. At the Scam Awareness counter, participants would pick up a telephone receiver and hear a recording from either a conman or a police officer on the line. Those who were able to distinguish correctly walked away with a prize. The focus on scams is the result of a significant increase in such crimes. Since 2017, impersonation scams have cheated victims of more than $30 million.
At the Spot The Difference booth, participants were allowed 45 seconds to point out three differences between a fake website and the real one. Another popular booth was the one that taught participants basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid.
About 600 people turned up for the event and were eager to participate in the games and contests, and to watch the live performances. Young children were particularly excited to don police uniforms and get their picture taken at the photo booth.
Another highlight was the Guardians of the City II challenge. This is a Total Defence card game designed to help youths develop a deeper understanding of security threats and the part they can play in keeping the nation safe and secure.
Mr Kok Keong, chairman of the Taman Jurong Community Emergency and Engagement Committee, said that residents encounter many real challenges daily and these include dengue outbreaks, fake news, the personal mobility device menace, medical and fire emergencies, and more. He added: “We hope that through the Community Resilience Day, we can mobilise and educate them to respond to this as an informed, smart and united community.”
Mr Gary Chuang’s children are pupils at Lakeside Primary School and were there to perform the rope skipping demonstration. He said: “I am glad I came along because I was able to learn how to protect myself and my family, and this is crucial knowledge.”
At the end of the event, some residents were seen going home with a fire extinguisher under their arm. These were sold at a discount to them. Mr Samuel Tan, a Jurong resident who bought one, said: “I have come to realise that every home should have a fire extinguisher because fires do occur and can cause a lot of damage.”