The Great East Japan earthquake and tsunami of 11 March 2011 underscored the importance of an effective system which allows the Embassy to quickly contact Singaporeans during a major disaster.
The Embassy has put in place an Emergency Contact Network (ECN) for Singaporeans who live, work or study in Japan. The ECN has served the Embassy and the Singaporean community well over the years.
There are currently more than 20 ECN groups throughout Japan. Each group is headed by a Singaporean leader who plays a critical role during a crisis as ECN leaders may be able to provide valuable ground information or support the Embassy in rendering assistance to Singaporeans in distress.
How to join
If you are a long-term stayer in Japan, we would like to encourage you to join the ECN. This can be easily done through the e-Register system, or by providing the Embassy with your contact details through email. There is no joining fee.
ECN groups are assigned based on geographical proximity. Once you have been allocated a group, the Embassy will notify you regarding the details. Your ECN leader will also be informed and he or she may contact you.
How it works
In the event of a major earthquake (Japanese magnitude 5 and above), for example, ECN members based in the affected areas will receive an earthquake warning alert message via email. Follow the instructions in the message and reply accordingly.
The Embassy will try to contact Singaporeans who do not reply to the earthquake warning alert message or who are unaccounted for. We will keep in close touch with the ECN group leaders, who may try to contact their respective members to ascertain their whereabouts and safety. If possible, ECN members should contact their respective group leaders directly.
Should a Next-of-Kin contact the Ministry for Foreign Affairs in Singapore or the Embassy for information about their loved ones in Japan during a crisis, based on the information received via the ECN system, we would be able to assure them accordingly.
Where necessary, the Embassy sends out advisories and other important announcements to all ECN members in a major emergency.
Change of Details
If you are relocating or leaving Japan, or your contact details have changed, it would be helpful if you could keep your respective ECN group leader and the Embassy informed. This will allow us to ensure that the ECN database is regularly updated. If you have already left Japan, this would prevent us from contacting you unnecessarily in the event of a major disaster in Japan.
Enquiries
Please feel free to contact us if you have any queries on the ECN. We also welcome any suggestions or feedback from Singaporeans on the ECN.
