Are Singaporeans generally prepared for a major catastrophe?
No, according to a new survey which has revealed that about four out of five Singaporeans do not consider themselves to be prepared.
As compared to 21 per cent of them who felt most Singaporeans are either “prepared” or “over-prepared”, some 79 per cent said they believed most Singaporeans are underprepared for a major disaster.
The online survey, commissioned by the National Geographic Channel and conducted by IdStats, asked citizens and permanent residents between 18 and 64 years old various questions about how they prepared themselves for disasters, and what they would do in the event that doomsday should occur.
While slightly less than half of more than 500 citizens polled felt that they were just about as prepared for one as any other person, a surprising 7 in 10 of the ones who felt unprepared adopted a fatalistic attitude toward disasters.
When asked why they felt they were not as prepared as they thought they should be for catastrophe, 67 per cent of respondents said it was because “there’s nothing anyone can ever do to be truly prepared for a catastrophe”.
38 per cent also indicated that they didn’t know what they should be doing to prepare, while 23 per cent said they did not think any disasters would happen.
On who should be responsible for disaster preparedness, 8 in 10 said every individual should take responsibility for their own readiness, while half said the responsibility for doing so lies with the government.
The National Geographic Channel's "Doomsday" survey was conducted in conjunction with the premiere of Doomsday Preppers, a new 12-part series premiering on the channel. Tune in to StarHub TV channels 411 or 457 on Mondays at 9pm, or to SingTel Mio TV channels 201 or 203 (starting 1 October).
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