For a start, in phase one of the programme, there are 50 trained participating drivers. They have been trained to conduct Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) and operate an AED, and will be alerted to cardiac arrest cases via the SCDF’s myResponder app within a 1.5 kilometres radius of their location.
Rescue 995 engaged two of the volunteers in this programme as they share their enthusiastic support for the programme. The enhanced AED-on-Wheels Programme is an extension of the Save-a-Life (SAL) initiative. The SAL was launched by SCDF in 2015 in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Singapore Heart Foundation and the People’s Association. It aims to increase the availability of AEDs in the community and build a network of trained community first responders to respond to cardiac arrest cases.
Lieutenant (LTA) Rahah Binte Mohamed, a Course Commander at the National Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Training Centre in the Civil Defence Academy, is among the volunteers of the programme.
“As a trained paramedic, I am always supportive of initiatives that help to improve the chance of survival for patients during emergencies. This enhanced AED-on-Wheels programme will make a world of difference to the lives of many, especially to the families of cardiac arrest patients,” LTA Rahah remarked.
LTA Rahah joined SCDF 25 years ago, starting her career as a paramedic before assuming the EMS Officer-In-Charge (OIC) at Bishan Fire Station. She was subsequently appointed as an EMS team leader at 1st SCDF Division in 2012. Despite her current role as a trainer, LTA Rahah still proudly regards herself as a paramedic.
“Once a paramedic, always a paramedic!” exclaimed LTA Rahah. “When I was posted to CDA as a trainer, it does not mean that I no longer serve as a paramedic. Rather, in my training facilitation, the skills and knowledge I impart to my trainees come from my rich experience as a paramedic. It is a skill set that stays with me for life.”
When asked if LTA Rahah drives regularly, she laughed and said, “Actually, it is my husband, an Emergency Medical Technician with the SCDF, who fetches me from work every day. And as a frequent user of my husband’s car, this AED will be very useful for us in case of a medical emergency on the road.”
Article credit: Singapore Civil Defence Force | Published on 24 March 2022
