AEDLocator

What to do before an ambulance arrives

Seconds matter after someone collapses from suspected sudden cardiac arrest. The ambulance is coming once you call 995, but bystander action in those first minutes often decides whether defibrillation and CPR happen early enough to matter.

This guide covers what to do while you wait: keep yourself safe, get help on the line, move blood with CPR, and get an AED to the person. It is not a full first-aid syllabus. For device steps, see how to use an AED.

Recognise the emergency

Treat it as possible cardiac arrest when the person:

  • Collapses or is found unresponsive
  • Does not respond to loud voice or gentle shake of the shoulders
  • Is not breathing normally (including slow, irregular gasping)

If they are awake and talking with chest pain alone, still call 995 for urgent medical help, but an AED is for arrest, not for every cardiac symptom. When you are unsure whether breathing is normal, call 995 and describe what you see. Dispatchers are trained for this ambiguity.

Keep the scene safe

Look for traffic, wet floors, live wires, fire, or aggressive crowds before you kneel down. Move the person only if staying put is more dangerous (for example, in a live lane) and you can do so without injuring yourself.

On MRT platforms, escalators, and car parks, ask others to stop approaching traffic or hold lift doors. You cannot help if you become a second casualty.

Call 995 immediately

Call 995 as soon as you recognise unresponsiveness with abnormal breathing. If others are present, point at one person: “You, call 995 now, put it on speaker, and tell me what they say.”

Give the dispatcher:

  • Exact location (building name, floor, nearby landmark, postal code if known)
  • That the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally
  • What you are doing (CPR started, AED on the way)

Stay on the line unless the dispatcher says otherwise. If you are alone, speakerphone lets you compress and listen at the same time.

Start CPR if you can

If you are trained, begin chest compressions on a firm surface. Push hard and fast in the centre of the chest. Allow full recoil. Minimise pauses.

If you are not trained, say so to the dispatcher. They can coach hands-only CPR over the phone. Perfect technique is less important than starting soon and keeping going.

Do not spend long searching for a pulse if you are unsure. Unresponsiveness plus abnormal breathing is enough to act.

Get an AED to the person

Send someone for the nearest public AED while CPR continues. Building staff and security often know the cabinet: lobby desks, fire command rooms, customer service counters, gym offices.

If you already know the floor and landmark from AEDLocator or from walking past the cabinet daily, say it out loud so the runner does not guess. In a live emergency, prefer myResponder for official locations and community responder alerts rather than browsing slowly on a phone.

When the AED arrives, power it on and follow the prompts. Stand clear for analysis and shocks. Resume CPR when told. Details are in the AED how-to guide.

Assign roles when others are present

Crowds freeze when everyone assumes someone else is in charge. Break the freeze with clear jobs:

  • Caller: on 995, speaker on, relays dispatcher instructions
  • Compressor: performs CPR, swaps every two minutes if possible to reduce fatigue
  • AED runner: fetches the kit and opens pads
  • AED operator: applies pads, runs clear checks, presses shock if advised
  • Guide: meets the ambulance at the street entrance or concierge and leads them in

Swap compressors before form collapses. Tired CPR is shallow CPR.

Clear space and prepare for handover

Loosen clothing around the chest and neck. Move bags and chairs back so responders have room. Note the time of collapse if anyone saw it. Keep pets and bystanders with phones filming at a distance if they distract from care; recording should never delay 995 or CPR.

When SCDF arrives, give a short handover: estimated collapse time, shocks delivered, whether the person moved or gasped, allergies or medical ID if known. Then step back unless asked to keep compressing.

What not to prioritise

Do not leave the person alone for a long search across distant floors if you are the only helper. Call 995 first, start CPR as coached, then fetch a nearby AED if you can return quickly.

Do not pour water on the person, slap them awake as a plan, or crowd the airway with food or pills. Do not delay care to find a “more qualified” stranger in the mall if nobody has started CPR yet.

Do not rely on a website as your only map during the emergency itself. Use official channels. Use AEDLocator beforehand so the runner already knows “level B1 beside the security office,” not “somewhere in this building.”

Prepare before you ever need this

Look up AEDs near home, work, and the MRT stations you use. Read each listing’s floor text and operating hours. Walk past the cabinet once so the landmark sticks.

Take a community CPR and AED course. Muscle memory beats blog reading when adrenaline hits.

Browse where AEDs are commonly found and search the directory by postal code or building name. Read cardiac arrest vs heart attack if you need to tell the two emergencies apart, or what an AED is for device basics.

FAQ: waiting for the ambulance

What number do I call in Singapore for cardiac arrest?

Call 995 for SCDF emergency medical services. Stay on the line and follow instructions.

What if the person starts breathing again?

If they begin breathing normally and show signs of life, keep them under observation, leave pads on if already applied unless the AED or dispatcher says otherwise, and wait for professionals. Be ready to restart CPR if they worsen.

Should I put the person in a car and drive to the hospital?

For suspected cardiac arrest, call 995 and start CPR and AED use on site. Driving a lifeless person yourself delays professional care and makes CPR nearly impossible in a moving car.

Is AEDLocator meant for use during the emergency?

Use it to learn listings near places you frequent. During a live emergency, call 995 and prefer myResponder for up-to-date official guidance. See how we source data for what the directory includes.