CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION AND FIRST AID

CARDIOPULMONARY RESUSCITATION AND FIRST AID:

(Training for frontline officers): 10.

Dr Fatimah Lateef asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in view of the recent cases of cardiac arrest and medical emergencies happening at multiple front line and public areas (a) what steps are being taken to ensure that front line officers, such as counter staff at the immigration office, checkpoints and airports, are trained in initial response/cardiopulmonary resuscitation and first aid; and (b) whether there are specific protocols to ensure the activation of emergency services in a timely fashion.

Assoc. Prof. Ho Peng Kee (for the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs): Sir, Home Team officers, including frontline officers at the checkpoints, must first and foremost be trained in their professional core competencies and functions. New officers

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training at the Home Team Academy receive basic training in first aid and CPR, in addition to their professional training. Serving officers may also be trained in basic first aid and CPR when practicable.

But, Sir, I should emphasise that it is not just Home Team frontline officers who should be trained in first aid and CPR. A medical emergency can happen anytime, anywhere to anyone. Since 2003, SCDF has been providing training on lifesaving skills under the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP). This programme is provided free-of-charge at the four SCDF Division Headquarters, seven days a week. Members of the public are encouraged to go for this training. Once trained, they can help make a difference by applying first aid or CPR in an emergency situation before the emergency response team arrives.

Sir, let me cite a couple of examples. In July this year, a road traffic accident at Choa Chu Kang caused the driver to experience a cardiac arrest. Three persons in the vicinity, ie, an off-duty Home Team officer, Sgt Andrew Lee, and two members of the public, Mr Syed Ahmad and Mr Fang Sian Piaw who are trained in CPR, immediately helped the victim out of the car and took turns to perform CPR. They resuscitated the victim before the arrival of the emergency ambulance. A life was saved due to their timely intervention. Another example which I think Members would also recall, which was reported in the media, was how Ms Esther Tan, a junior college student, helped to save a life in February last year, when she applied CPR for six minutes until SCDF paramedics arrived.

As to protocols to ensure the activation of emergency services in a timely fashion, stringent operational Key Performance Indicators are already in place and regularly reviewed to ensure the timely response of the emergency ambulance service following the receipt of

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a 995 call. Over the past three years, the SCDF emergency ambulance service has consistently met its target of reaching its destination within 11 minutes more than 80% of the time.