ComfortDelGro cabby receives award for responding to emergencies

This article is more than 12 months old

Jul 07, 2022 09:13 pm

When he saw a notification on the myResponder mobile app that a woman near his home in Sengkang was having a cardiac arrest, Mr Elson Sim, 62, rushed over.

The ComfortDelGro cabby got to her block within minutes, and took the automated external defibrillator (AED) at the lift lobby up to her home.

"There were already paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) attending to her, so I passed them the AED in case they needed another one," he said.

Mr Sim has been using the app since last August, when he volunteered to be part of the SCDF-ComfortDelGro AED-on-Wheels programme.

The initiative aims to increase the number of first responders on the road.

Through the app, community first responders are notified of emergencies that occur within a 1.5km radius of their current location.

There were no reported injuries, said SCDF, adding that the cause of the fire is under investigation.

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Over the last 11 months, Mr Sim has responded to four emergencies.

One involved a fire at a rubbish dump near his home. Police officers were already at the scene, so he uploaded photos of the fire through the myResponder app. These provided the SCDF with a better understanding of the situation.

For his efforts, Mr Sim received the Community First Responder Award on Thursday (July 7).

Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development Sun Xueling presenting the award to Mr Sim. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

The event also saw the launch of the SCDF-Ninja Van AED-on-Wheels programme, which aims to recruit Ninja Van delivery drivers and riders as responders.

More than 100,000 people are registered as community first responders on the myResponder app.

These volunteers have responded to 67 per cent of all emergencies that surfaced on the app since the start of the year, said Ms Sun Xueling, Minister of State for Home Affairs and Social and Family Development. She was the guest of honour at the event.

Mr Sim said he would continue as a volunteer responder, adding: "AEDs are simple to use. All you need to do is follow the instructions and that's it, you can help someone already."

Admitting that he still gets a bit nervous every time he sees an alert, Mr Sim added: "I will still go in there because my actions could save a life."