SCDF launches mobile pod to improve emergency response times
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The pod is part of SCDF’s plans to meet the increasing demand for emergency medical services.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
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SINGAPORE – Emergency medical services (EMS) crews will soon be able to take breaks between calls in a custom-built mobile pod, instead of having to return to their bases.
Known as a dynamic deployment pod, the space functions as a temporary base for EMS crews, who are usually deployed from fire stations, fire posts and dynamic deployment bases.
Dynamic deployment bases are locations such as police stations and community centres where ambulances are deployed.
The pod is part of the Singapore Civil Defence Force’s (SCDF) plans to meet the increasing demand for emergency medical services.
It was inspired by gym pods and isolated office spaces that emerged during the Covid-19 pandemic, and took about six to 12 months to build, said SCDF.
SCDF said it collaborated with local vendors to come up with the design of the pod, which was fabricated abroad.
The first pod was unveiled by SCDF during an event on Feb 25 at Jurong Lake Gardens, where it will remain for three months as part of a six-month trial.
It will be relocated to Toa Payoh Public Library for the second half of the trial.
During the event, Lieutenant-Colonel Amelia Justina Lim, senior assistant director of EMS’ plans and policy department, said: “The aim of this trial is to improve our geographical coverage of the ambulance department, so we can reach emergencies quicker.”
Known as a Dynamic Deployment Pod, the space functions as a temporary base for emergency medical services crews.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
In its annual statistics report released on Feb 13, SCDF said it responded to 245,279 emergency calls in 2024
On Feb 18, it announced that it would be hiring foreigners as paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs)
In response to queries from The Straits Times, SCDF said there are now 23 fire stations, 30 fire posts and eight dynamic deployment bases in Singapore.
The SCDF has an operational fleet of 95 ambulances.
As the current deployment points are permanent infrastructure, they are limited by locality, said SCDF.
The pod, on the other hand, can be moved, using a lorry crane, from one location to another within three days to meet surges in demand for emergency medical services.
Measuring 4.5m long, 2.2m wide and 2.45m high, each pod comes equipped with air-conditioning, work desks and multiple power points for an EMS crew to complete its administrative work and charge its equipment. There are also plans to equip the pod with Wi-Fi in the near future.
For security, four CCTV cameras are installed outside the pod.
Designed to function similarly to fire stations and posts, each pod can house an EMS crew, usually comprising three people – a paramedic and two EMTs.
From Feb 28, an ambulance will be stationed at the pod in Jurong Lake Gardens. The pod and the ambulance will operate from 9.30am to 7.30pm.
From Feb 28, an ambulance will be stationed at the DDP at Jurong Lake Gardens, and will operate from 9.30am to 7.30pm.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
EMS crews from Jurong Fire Station will be stationed at the pod and will return to their base at the end of their shift.
Captain Yao Hongbin, who heads the EMS team at Jurong Fire Station, said: “We’re happy to be the first ones to try out the (pod) so we can provide feedback to improve on future versions.”
Lt-Col Lim said Jurong Lake Gardens was chosen as the first location for the trial based on data from SCDF’s Dynamic Resource Optimisation programme, which recommends optimal locations to deploy ambulances.
A spokesperson for SCDF said: “Another key consideration is locating the pods in areas where SCDF has not established permanent premises such as a fire station or post.”
The Jurong Lake Gardens pod is sited strategically between four ambulance deployment points in Jurong: Jurong West Fire Post, Jurong Fire Station, Jurong East Fire Post and Taman Jurong Fire Post.
By dispersing its resources across a wider area, SCDF aims to improve its emergency response times. On average, its EMS is able to respond to 80 per cent of calls within 11 minutes.
An emergency deployment simulation before the trial at Jurong Lake Gardens showed that the pod brought about a 1 percentage point to 2 percentage point improvement in response time.
If the trial goes well, SCDF plans to add eight to 10 more pods in the future to complement the existing ambulance deployment points, Lt-Col Lim said.
Claudia Tan is a journalist on The Straits Times’ crime and courts beat.
