Emergency Evacuation Protocols for High-rise Fires Involving Seniors or Residents with Mobility Impairments
Ministry of Home AffairsSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns emergency evacuation protocols for seniors and residents with mobility impairments during high-rise fires, as raised by Mr David Hoe. Coordinating Minister and Minister K Shanmugam explained that SCDF prioritises evacuating affected and adjacent floors, while other residents stay put in fire-compartmented units. He noted that super high-rise buildings include refuge floors every 20 storeys and advised immobile residents to remain in a safe room while awaiting professional assistance to avoid mishaps. To enhance community support, the Minister highlighted the "Fire Safety Kakis" initiative launched in March 2025, which trains volunteers to assist vulnerable residents during evacuations. He also referred to separate parliamentary responses for specific queries regarding community fire drills and the provision of evacuation chairs in housing estates.
Transcript
10 Mr David Hoe asked the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) what emergency evacuation protocols exist for high-rise fires involving seniors or residents with mobility impairments; (b) whether SCDF, in partnership with HDB Town Councils, will consider holding community fire drills to raise awareness; and (c) whether SCDF will consider piloting refuge points, evacuation chairs or neighbour-assist schemes in estates with substantial proportions of elderly.
Mr K Shanmugam: When responding to a high-rise fire, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) prioritises the evacuation of occupants on the floor affected by the fire and generally those residing in the two floors above. As every residential unit is designed as a fire compartment to prevent the spread of fire to adjacent units, residents on the other floors should remain in their units, and will only be evacuated if SCDF assesses that it is necessary.
Super high-rise residential buildings that are over 40 storeys are designed with refuge floors at intervals of not more than 20 storeys. These serve as a safe holding area so that residents do not have to travel many floors down to leave the building in case of a fire.
Seniors and residents with mobility impairments who cannot evacuate independently should stay within their units in a safe room, close the door, inform the authorities about their location, and await assistance for evacuation. This approach is aligned with international best practices and seeks to minimise injuries or mishaps that may result from the self-evacuation of less mobile residents.
Community support for these residents, particularly prior to the arrival of the authorities, can also make a difference. In this regard, the SCDF worked with the Jalan Besar Group Representation Constituency grassroots organisations to launch "Fire Safety Kakis", on 1 March 2025. This is a community volunteer initiative to help evacuate the elderly and vulnerable in the event of a fire in their home or block.
The Member may refer to similar Parliamentary Questions filed for the Sittings on 23 and 24 September 2025 for his queries on community fire drills and evacuation chairs respectively. [Please refer to "Public Education Campaign to Address Fire Incidents in HDB Flats", Official Report, 23 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 3, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section; and "Evacuation Procedures for High-rise Fires in Older HDB Blocks", Official Report, 24 September 2025, Vol 96, Issue 4, Written Answers to Questions for Oral Answer not Answered by End of Question Time section.]