SCDF to better equip public with life-saving, emergency skills: Shanmugam
SINGAPORE: The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) will revamp its programmes to better equip members of the community with life-saving and emergency skills, said Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam at the annual SCDF Workplan Seminar on Friday (May 6).
The current Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP) will be revamped to have a greater emphasis on practical training in basic first aid and fire-fighting. The revised programme will be rolled out by end-2016.
Participants will undergo three different tiers of emergency preparedness - an e-learning module and assessment, a training session in basic first-aid, CPR-AED and fire-fighting, as well as a comprehensive CPR course. They will then be classified accordingly.
Previously, participants of the CEPP took part in a day-long modular course which consisted of a wide range of emergency procedures.
Speaking to SCDF personnel at the closed-door seminar, Mr Shanmugam said the safety and security of the community is a collective responsibility and that the community will play a vital role, alongside the SCDF, in getting Singapore ready for emergencies as part of the larger SG Secure framework.
SG Secure is a new national movement announced in March that aims to better prepare Singaporeans against a terror attack.
SCDF launched the SCDF myResponder mobile app last year to encourage prompt bystander response for cardiac arrest victims within a 400m radius. Since April 2015, about 300 members of the community have responded to these cases.
One of them was 50-year-old Michelle Lim, who was having breakfast at a coffee shop in Bishan when the app alerted her to an emergency.
"Without a second thought, I rushed down to the scene because it was just a block away," said Ms Lim. "When I arrived, I saw a casualty lying on the floor. I heard a guy shouting for someone who knew CPR, so immediately I rendered help. He was gasping for air, his eyes were actually rolling up and his lips were purple."
Ms Lim performed CPR until an ambulance arrived and the victim has since made a full recovery.
About 40,000 individuals have been trained annually since the CEPP was launched in 2003.
As part of efforts to get the SG Secure message across, around 1,000 SCDF personnel on reservist will conduct door-to-door visits from July. They will also educate households on issues such as fire safety measures.
"Within the Home Team, it is going to be relatively easier to get the message across, to train our people, to get them ready to be on the ground," said Mr Shanmugam.
"(But) how do we bring the community in? First, the message has to be understood and that’s never easy because in a sense, Singapore is a cocoon; a bubble - everything is safe and secure.
"To try to get people to understand that there is a problem that we need to deal with is the first major challenge," he added.
At the event on Friday, SCDF also showcased some of its latest innovations, including exoskeleton technology so responders can carry heavier loads during operations.
- CNA/hs