SCDF to hire foreigners to beef up emergency medical services
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SCDF currently has 95 operational ambulances, and has plans to expand its fleet to meet the increasing demand due to Singapore’s ageing population.
PHOTO: ST FILE
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SINGAPORE - For the first time, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will hire foreigners as paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to attend to 995 calls.
This is to address its manpower shortage and to beef up its 24-hour Emergency Medical Services (EMS). It currently has 95 operational ambulances, and has plans to expand its fleet to meet the increasing demand due to Singapore’s ageing population.
A typical EMS crew consists of one paramedic and two EMTs, who work together to administer emergency medical care to patients.
On Feb 18, SCDF held an appreciation event for its community responders, partners and volunteers at HomeTeamNS Khatib.
Held annually since 2016, it is jointly organised by the Ministry of Home Affairs and the SCDF.
It recognises civilians who have helped save lives and property.
In his opening speech, Minister of State for Home Affairs Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, who was the guest of honour, announced SCDF’s plan to hire the foreigners from March.
He said: “SCDF EMS strives very hard to reach a patient as soon as possible. SCDF aims to respond to 80 per cent of all emergency medical calls within 11 minutes. However, the rising number of EMS calls, due in part to Singapore’s ageing population, presents tremendous challenges for the SCDF and its EMS crews.”
On Feb 13, the SCDF in its annual statistics release said that in 2024, it responded to 245,279 emergency calls,
This number is expected to increase beyond 2025.
Associate Professor Faishal said the recruitment of foreigners, mainly from Asean countries, will begin in March. Suitable candidates are expected to undergo rigorous training in accordance with SCDF’s standards and protocols.
A spokesperson for the SCDF told The Straits Times that foreign paramedics and EMTs will also be required to pass yearly tests and undergo the same training programmes as local hires.
Recognising community responders
In 2025, 27 responders were awarded Platinum or Gold plaques for their efforts in rendering aid to those in need. The tiered awards are given based on the number of suspected cardiac arrest or minor fire cases a responder attends to in a year.
SCDF also presented 52 community partners with appreciation plaques for their efforts in encouraging more people to sign up as responders.
Its latest statistics showed the overall response rate of Community First Responders (CFRs) increased from about 43.8 per cent to 50.3 per cent in 2024.
As at 2024, responders have saved 94 cardiac arrest victims after being alerted through the myResponder app.
The app notifies responders of suspected cardiac arrest cases and minor fires within 400m of their location, and identifies nearby automated external defibrillators (AEDs).
There were 40,245 new sign-ups on the app in 2024, an increase of 14.1 per cent from 2023. More than 204,000 responders are currently registered on the SGSecure app and myResponder app, added SCDF.
Prof Faishal said: “These CFRs are the intermediaries to prevent further escalation of fires and possibly enhance the survival rates of patients before the arrival of the SCDF.
“The work of the CFRs reminds us that no effort is too small. Every action can make a big difference to the lives of those facing an emergency. Every volunteer makes a difference.”
One such volunteer is 19-year-old Ayush Tibrewal, who was alerted to a cardiac arrest case at Block 751 Woodlands Circle on Feb 2, 2024.
He received a Platinum plaque on Feb 18 for responding to 21 cases in 2024.
The Ngee Ann Polytechnic nursing student told The Straits Times that he woke up to the notification on the app at about 6.40am that day, and immediately drove down to the location, which was about 1.5km from his home.
Mr Tibrewal is part of the SCDF’s AED on wheels programme,
Inside the flat, he saw another responder attending to a man in his 60s who was unconscious.
Mr Ayush Tibrewal received a Platinum plaque for responding to 21 cases in 2024.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Recounting the incident, Mr Tibrewal said: “We assessed the patient and found that he had no pulse and had stopped breathing, so we administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on him and used the AED.”
Mr Tibrewal and the other responder repeated the procedure on the man for about 10 minutes before the SCDF arrived.
“Even after the SCDF arrives, we don’t leave. We usually stay to help them with simple things like holding up the IV drips, for instance. We leave only when the patient has been taken to hospital.”
The man that he and the other responder helped survived. Mr Tibrewal said: “I’m very happy that our efforts paid off, and that we saved a life that morning.”
Since becoming a CFR in 2022 at the age of 16, Mr Tibrewal has responded to more than 50 cases.
He signed up as a responder after attending a basic first aid course on the advice of his course mates.
Being a responder also influenced his decision to pursue nursing, as he discovered he had a passion for saving lives.
“I wanted to go beyond helping on the front line, and I figured that working at a hospital was a good way to start.”
Apart from learning how to administer emergency care, Mr Tibrewal said that he has also learnt how to work in high-pressure situations.
He said: “I’ve learnt a lot from being a responder. It’s a good way to make a difference in the community.”
