SINGAPORE - From bringing Singaporeans home from Wuhan to attending to potential coronavirus cases here, Singapore's first responders all share the same sentiment: They hope to keep Singaporeans safe.

Emergency medical technician (EMT) Muhammad Arfan Shahrom and his team mate, EMT driver Zulkifli Arsarapi, were among the many Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) officers here who have attended to calls for an ambulance.

Corporal Muhammad Arfan said there has been an increase in the number of calls since the coronavirus outbreak, as members of the public become more aware about seeking medical assistance when necessary.

Warrant Officer 2 Zulkifli said: "Everyone was initially alarmed when they saw us dressed in our personal protective equipment (PPE), responding to calls in their vicinity."

He added that many people often assume that they were responding to a confirmed case of the coronavirus, and would either snap pictures or move away from them.

The pair, along with paramedic Warrant Officer 1 Ian Ang, attended to a suspected Covid-19 case at Marina South Pier on Jan 23.

About two weeks after that, two Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) officers stepped forward to help Singaporeans who were stranded in Wuhan.

MFA consular officers Amelia Wong and Philip Ong flew on a chartered Scoot flight to evacuate Singaporeans who remained in Wuhan due to the lockdown.

A total of 174 Singaporeans and their families were able to return home from Wuhan on Feb 9.

As part of the MFA's crisis response team, they worked with the Singapore embassy in Beijing and Scoot's management team to facilitate the evacuation.

They also ensured that the Singaporeans on the flight knew what to expect when they arrive in Singapore.

"Our mission is really very simple - it is that we'll leave no one behind." said Mr Ong, who was the team leader.

Back in Singapore, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers Anisah Anis and Patrick Goh were tasked to screen the 174 passengers on board the Scoot flight.

Both said that they volunteered to do so without hesitation and felt it was their duty to help fellow Singaporeans.

While security remained their priority, ICA officers were also told to ensure that the passengers were as stress-free as possible during the experience.

Staff sergeant Anisah said: "Some of the kids were quite scared, so when I had the time, I would wave at them. Some of them were quite responsive and were more comfortable after that."

Together with two other primary screening officers, they were able to clear all passengers in about an hour.

In the third episode of the Front-line Fighters series, listen to the stories of our brave first responders.