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The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) – Grab Automated External Defibrillator (AED)¹-on-Wheels programme was officially launched by Associate Professor Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim, Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of National Development, on 28 January 2021.

Launch of the SCDF-Grab AED-on-Wheels programme

The SCDF – Grab programme is the third AED-on-Wheels programme. Under this programme, SCDF has equipped 50 Grab Private Hire Vehicles (PHVs) with AEDs, with Grab equipping these PHVs with fire extinguishers and first aid kits. This marks the first time a PHV company is joining the AED-on-Wheels programme.

In addition to providing AEDs, SCDF has conducted training for 64 Grab driver-partners on how to perform CPR², apply first aid, use a fire extinguisher and use an AED through the Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP)³.

About the AED-on-Wheels programme

The AED-on-Wheels programme equips vehicles on the move with AEDs, in support of the SCDF’s Save-A-Life initiative. This increases the availability of roving AEDs within the community to facilitate the quick delivery of an AED to a cardiac arrest victim, thereby increasing the victim’s chances of survival.

The programme started in November 2015 with taxis under the SMRT – Temasek Cares AED-on-Wheels programme and expanded in November 2019 with the HDT Singapore Taxi – Singapore Heart Foundation AED-on-Wheels programme. Under these two programmes, 100 SMRT taxis and 50 HDT Singapore Taxis⁴ were equipped with AEDs.

Participating taxi drivers are trained to conduct CPR and will be alerted via the SCDF myResponder app to any cardiac arrest incident within a 1.5km radius of the taxi’s location.

As at 30 September 2020, taxi drivers under this initiative have arrived on scene for 158 cardiac arrest cases.

_{¹ An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable device that checks the heart rhythm and sends an electric shock to the heart to try to restore a normal rhythm during a cardiac arrest.}

_{²  Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure that combines chest compressions with artificial ventilation to manually provide blood circulation and preserve brain function in a person with cardiac arrest.}

_{³  The Community Emergency Preparedness Programme (CEPP) focuses on core lifesaving skills and essential emergency procedures with greater emphasis on practical hands-on engagements to allow them to apply what they have learnt to help others during emergencies.}

_{⁴ HDT Singapore Holdings has since said in a joint media release with the National Taxi Association on 27 November 2020 that it will be folding its taxi business. SCDF will re-deploy the 50 AEDs sponsored by SHF that were equipped to HDT Singapore Taxis.}