What inspired you to organise a fire safety plan?
Initially, when we came into this estate, we found that it was quite rundown. We also noticed that there were lots of terrace houses where roofs are joined together. We were worried about their safety of the residents and our childred especially if fire breaks out at night. We asked ourselves what we should do to protect our family and residents against fire, particularly at night.

So what happened?
At that time, our MP circulated a letter to the residents, inviting us to join as volunteers. We decided to respond. Initially when we came into this programme, both of us were not used to this kind of environment. Frankly speaking, we have never stepped into any community function in our lives. We tried to change the directions. We persuaded our members to cater to residents' needs rather than function-based activities. I believed that everything we do should have a purpose and not just gatherings and gatherings.

What kind of directions were you looking at?
When our Neighbourhood Committee (NC) was formed in 1999, we immediately questioned the function of the NC and identified four major directions. We looked at estate upgrading. The open drains should be covered, there should be a proper parking space for every family and removal of obstructive and hazardous trees. We needed a proper parking system or at least a proper path for fire engines to pass through. We also wanted our estate to be dengue free and crime free in addition to having a fire-safety environment.

What were the residents' reactions?
Initially our directions were not so clear so they didn't understand us. This kind of things need time and that is why we formed the volunteer groups first. In time they began to understand our programmes.

How long did it take you to detail the fire escape plan.
It took about a year. In fact, we had about 7 to 8 very comprehensive meetings before we formalised the fire safety plans. The fire safety officer and the police would sit in at every meeting. We aimed to get the procedures right; setting out whom to call first, to wake your family members before you save your property, etc.

Are there any stories to tell?
We did an actual trial run in December 2000 and found that the lane was very small. So, if cars were parked on both sides of the lane, the fire engine could not possibly pass through. Some of the trees had grown so huge that the fire engines could not pass through. We have highlighted the problems in the fire safety pamphlet and have also requested the Government authority to trim the trees regularly.

Was the past one-year difficult for you guys?
We're both professional engineers so we more or less know the system of analysis, otherwise it would have been difficult. A lot of people thought that we were from SCDF but we're not. Our childred help us whenever they're free. My girls take turns to be the emcee while my son acts as the photographer. We work together as a family but of course the members of the Kebun Baru NC have contributed their best to make the fire safety plan a success.

After the launch and the fire drills, how are you going to maintain the level of safety?
We need to do surveillance audit yearly which includes checking on fire hydrants to ensure it is useable and conduct annual fire drills. This is very important as old residents may leave and new residents shift in. So we need to do annual fire drills to familiarise them with the fire assembly area. We will also extend our plan to look into the medical aid of the elderly.