SCDF to sound 'Important Message' signal on Total Defence Day
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will sound the "Important Message" signal through Public Warning System (PWS) sirens islandwide at 6.20pm on Wednesday (Feb 15) as part of Total Defence (TD) Day.
"Do not be alarmed by the minute-long sounding exercise," SCDF said in a media release on Wednesday.
The signal will also sound on all smartphones with the SGSecure mobile app that are not on silent or vibration mode. The signal will stop after 20 seconds or once the message is acknowledged, and the user will receive a brief text on the PWS sounding, SCDF added.
The PWS siren is sounded at 6.20pm on Feb 15 to mark the time of the British's surrender to Japanese Imperial Forces in 1942.
"(This) serves to give due significance and remembrance to this historical moment. It also underscores the importance of emergency preparedness and for Singaporeans to defend our homeland," SCDF said.
Touching on the siren sounding in a Facebook post yesterday, Minister for Defence Ng Eng Hen had said that the sirens were sounded on Feb 15 every year to declare Singapore's resolve for Total Defence and signal the important role every Singaporean play in building up the pillars of Total Defence.
Members of the public can find out more about the PWS signals at the SCDF website.
- CNA/mz