Believed to be the first-of-its-kind Civil Service-wide initiative for public education dissemination, Ready Mobile allows the public to access and download such advisories onto their mobile phones.

"Singapore has one of the highest mobile phone penetration rates in the world, so it makes sense to make it easier for people to access information on the go," said LTC N Subhas, Director Public Affairs Department, Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Ready Mobile comprises 15 emergency advisories in the four official languages. They are available in both animation and text formats and cover topics ranging from fire safety and CPR, to bomb and chemical threats. To date, nearly 8,000 animation clips and 1,500 text advisories have been downloaded since the service was launched in April last year.

To access Ready Mobile, members of the public can visit the Ready Mobile download portal on the SCDF web site (www.scdf.gov.sg), select and download the contents into their personal computers or laptops, and transfer them to mobile phones using Bluetooth, infra-red or USB connections, or memory cards. Alternatively, the contents can be accessed directly on browser-enabled mobile phones through SCDF's mobile WAP portal at www.scdf.gov.sg/mobile. Ready Mobile animated emergency advisories can also be streamed through 3G mobile portals of service providers SingTel, Mobile One and StarHub.

Advisories on topics such as Decontamination Procedures can be downloaded from the Singapore Civil Defence Force's Ready Mobile service.

"Through Ready Mobile, members of the public can now access content on emergency preparedness even while they are 'on-the-move'. The public education information supplements those already available through the SCDF web site and CD Emergency Handbook," said LTC Subhas. "Learning can take place wherever they are, simply by referring to Ready Mobile contents on their own mobile phones."

Besides the mobile phone, SCDF is also leveraging the Internet for its public education initiatives. An example is the Individual Readiness Assessment (IREA) programme, which was launched in September last year. The web-based tool is designed for the public to assess their current level of readiness against conventional and unconventional emergencies. Available on the SCDF web site, the programme puts participants through 20 questions and five simulation games in three sections - Awareness, Preparedness and Confidence. Areas covered include general preparedness, first-aid and CPR, fire safety, emergency procedures and unconventional threats. The tool then tabulates the scores and generates a report on the user's readiness level, as well as the avenues for improvement and assistance.

"Used as a guide, IREA can help members of public to identify their 'weak areas' and learn to take up steps to improve," said LTC Subhas.