We thank Mr Donovan Chee Kwok Hoe for his letter ("Extend emergency SMS service to wider public"; last Tuesday).

We agree with Mr Chee on the need for the public to take quick and appropriate actions in the event of a terrorist attack.

The SG Secure national movement, therefore, seeks to sensitise, train and equip the community with skills and knowledge on how to respond in the event of an attack.

The Singapore Police Force (SPF) launched the "Run, Hide, Tell" advisory in April on what members of the public should do if they are caught in an attack.

The police also recently launched the 71999 SMS service to enable members of the public to seek assistance when it is unsafe to talk.

This new initiative differs from the 70999 SMS service, which is meant for members of the deaf, hard-of-hearing and speech-impaired community who have registered through the National Council of Social Service.

When reporting incidents through the 999 police hotline or the 71999 SMS service, information such as the number of attackers and their descriptions, the weapons they are carrying, as well as the location they are heading towards, will be very useful.

Members of the public can also submit photos and videos of the incident through the i-Witness function on the Police@SG mobile application. More information is available on the SPF website at http://www.police.gov.sg/sms-71999 and http://www.police.gov.sg/ iwitness

We encourage members of the community to learn more about the "Run, Hide, Tell" advisory and find out how they can play their part in the SG Secure movement (www.sgsecure.sg) so that together, we can keep Singapore safe.

Ho Yenn Dar (Superintendent)

Assistant Director (Public Communications Division)

Public Affairs Department

Singapore Police Force