THERE'S strength in numbers, and that's critical in building up a community's resilience in times of emergency.

With that in mind, grassroots organisations (GROs) from seven constituencies - the six in Ang Mo Kio GRC and single-constituency Yio Chu Kang - have banded together to achieve this aim.

Totalling about 500 GROs, they are putting the 'Plus' into an existing vehicle, the Community Engagement Programme (CEP).

Until now, the CEP - inaugurated in February 2006 - was limited to individual GROs developing their own networks to act if terror and communal tensions arise.

The new initiative, aptly dubbed the CEP Plus Project, allows the seven consituencies to leverage on each other's capabilities and resources.

They will also work with religious and community partners like schools and volunteer groups to build strong networks of trust.

The CEP Plus was mooted in May this year. It is the first time that an entire GRC and a single constituency have engaged in a CEP-driven project.

At a media briefing on Saturday, Dr Lam Pin Min, adviser to Sengkang West Grassroots Organisations, who leads the new initiative in Ang Mo Kio, said the CEP Plus will be better prepared to handle major catastrophies like a bomb explosion or an infectious disease outbreak.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, adviser to Teck Ghee GRO, was at the Emergency Preparedness Day held at Ang Mo Kio Ave 3 on Saturday to launch the new initiative.

PM Lee said both the grassroots leaders and residents will benefit from the combining of strengths.

'The mutual help between the different wards will be very valuable for the grassroots leaders because it's extra practice working together. For the residents, there's practice, they are familiar, and if anything ever happens, we hope never, but just in case, we will be able to respond,' he said.