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SINGAPORE – Teams of two private ambulance operators trained for a wider range of emergencies will respond to calls in the Singapore Civil Defense Force (SCDF) ambulances and uniforms under a new recruitment model.
This new agreement between SCDF and private ambulance operators Unistrong Technology and Lentor Ambulance begins Tuesday (December 1) as part of SCDF’s efforts to improve their operational capabilities and readiness.
Paramedics from these private ambulance operators (PAOs) will be able to respond to complex medical emergencies, including mass casualty incidents and those involving chemical, biological, radiological, and explosive elements.
They will also don the SCDF uniform while doing so, SCDF added in a statement Monday.
Deputy Commissioner Yong Meng Wah, director of SCDF’s emergency medical services department, said the new agreement comes as SCDF faces an “increasingly complex operating environment and increased demand for emergency medical services.”
Under the new model operated by government-owned contractors, the two PAOs will provide the staff to operate 30 SCDF-issued ambulances assigned to them at Singapore fire stations.
SCDF started using PAO ambulances in 2009 to increase its fleet. Under the previous agreement, the PAOs owned and maintained their own fleet of ambulances.
Under the new arrangement, SCDF will also issue additional ambulances to the two PAOs that can be activated during major and prolonged emergencies.
SCDF added that it will maintain overall command and control over all medical resources, which may include PAO ambulances and crew deployed in large-scale incidents.
All new PAO recruits next year will be required to attend a refresher program to equip them with the skills to respond to complex medical emergencies.
PAO staff must also undergo semiannual recertification tests administered by SCDF.
Lt. Col. Janice Oh, senior deputy director of SCDF’s EMS Readiness Branch, said the assessment comprises theoretical tests and practical exercises that equip PAOs to better serve the public.
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