The two-man who came to the office said that they will be liable for a fine if they don’t have a fire extinguisher on their premises. The fire extinguisher was sold for $118, but doing a quick search on Lazada it does not even cost half the price.
Here is the story:
Did I get scammed?
2 men dressed in shirts and pants with official-looking badges in their lanyards around their necks knocked on my office door and told me they were from SG Fire Safety and were here to inspect my fire extinguishers and First Aid Kit.I was very busy and it was close to the end of the day, so I just wanted them out of my office, hence I wasn’t paying attention to what they were saying. But I recalled that they said if I didn’t have unexpired fire extinguishers and a First Aid Kit, I’m liable to be fined $5,000 by SCDF.
I showed them the fire hose reel in my office and they said it wasn’t enough. They claimed that SCDF requires fire extinguishers at the doors and a FAK. They also presented to me some information on the requirements that the FAK has to meet.
They then told me that they’d charge me $118 for a 2kg fire extinguisher, which includes servicing and refilling for the next 5 years. I paid a $50 deposit and got a receipt. Then I promptly kicked them out so I could get on with work.1 minute later it occurred to me to check the receipt and I realised that I was charged $118 for 1 fire extinguisher (I have 2 doors in my office).
I went online to check for retail prices and discovered that most listings for a 2kg extinguisher were around $30+. I then called the building management (JTC) and asked if there was a fire safety requirement by SCDF to have extinguishers in addition to the fire hose reel.
They said no.I looked at the receipt and it said that SG Fire Safety is a private entity and has nothing to do with the gov or SCDF. Also, they don’t do refunds. So I went through every corridor and floor until I located the 2 men, 3 floors down.I said I’ve decided not to purchase the fire extinguisher and asked for my money back.
Ask for refund, they say will report to SCDF
The person with whom I spoke to said he will be submitting my company name as not having fire extinguishers to SCDF, before handing me back my deposit. I’m thus liable to get fined.
However, for the last 6 years in operation, I haven’t had a visit by SCDF regarding fire extinguishers and FAK. Some of my friends have told me that they think this is a scam, some said these salesmen used fear-mongering tactics to persuade clueless business owners to purchase overpriced goods and services under a legitimate business. I’ve also looked up Clause 6.1 off SCDF’s Fire Code and it confirms that I don’t need these additional extinguishers.
Source: Lawrence Koo