AEDLocator

Step-by-step: What Happens When You Call 995 in Singapore

Most people picture 995 as a single action: you call, an ambulance comes. In a cardiac arrest, that mental model is wrong in a way that costs lives. The call itself is the start of treatment, not just a request for it. The dispatcher who picks up can coach you through CPR, and the system can ping trained volunteers near you before the ambulance is anywhere close.

This guide walks through what happens after you dial 995 in Singapore, step by step: who answers, how dispatcher-assisted CPR works, what the myResponder app does, and exactly where a public AED fits into the sequence. It is not a training course. For hands-on device steps, see how to use an AED.

Who answers when you call 995?

995 is the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) emergency line for fire and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). It is the number to use for a medical emergency such as a collapse, chest pain, difficulty breathing, or serious injury. (999 is the Police line. For non-emergency ambulance transport, SCDF runs a separate 1777 service, which is not for cardiac arrest.)

Your call lands at the SCDF Operations Centre, where a trained call-taker handles it. This person is not just logging an address. They are triaging the emergency, dispatching resources, and, when the situation calls for it, coaching you to act while the ambulance is still moving.

The 995 call, step by step

Here is the workflow from the moment you dial:

  1. You state the emergency and location. Give the building name, block, floor or unit, nearest landmark, and postal code if you know it. Location is the single most time-sensitive piece of information, because everything else depends on the ambulance finding you.
  2. The dispatcher triages. They ask focused questions: Is the person conscious? Are they breathing normally? What happened? The questions are not delay, they are how the dispatcher decides what to send and what to tell you to do.
  3. Resources are dispatched. An ambulance, and often a fire vehicle or nearby responder, is sent while you are still on the line. In many cases the crew is already rolling before the dispatcher finishes their questions.
  4. The dispatcher gives instructions. For a suspected cardiac arrest, this is where the call becomes treatment. The dispatcher moves into dispatcher-assisted CPR (see below).
  5. You stay on the line. Keep the phone on speaker so your hands are free. The dispatcher stays with you, counts compressions, and updates you until the crew physically takes over.

The mistake to avoid is hanging up to "go get help." You already have help on the line. Do not end the call unless the dispatcher tells you to.

Dispatcher-assisted CPR: the call is the first treatment

If the person is unresponsive and not breathing normally, the dispatcher will start dispatcher-assisted CPR (sometimes written DA-CPR). You do not need to be trained, and you do not need to have done it before.

The dispatcher will:

  • Confirm the person is unresponsive and check how they are breathing, including whether there is only slow, gasping breathing (which is a sign of arrest, not recovery).
  • Tell you to put the person on their back on a firm, flat surface.
  • Talk you through hands-only chest compressions: push hard and fast in the centre of the chest, and let the chest come all the way back up between pushes.
  • Count the rhythm out loud with you and keep you going, because tired compressions get shallow.

This matters because early CPR keeps some oxygenated blood moving to the brain until a shock or the ambulance arrives. Singapore's national data shows why the system invests so heavily in it: expanding dispatcher-assisted CPR, community training, and volunteer alerting tracked with survival to discharge improving over the past decade. The honest framing is in how much bystander CPR and AEDs really help.

If you freeze, say so. The dispatcher's whole job in that moment is to unfreeze you.

Where myResponder fits in

Alongside the ambulance, SCDF can activate the myResponder app. This is the part of the workflow most people do not know exists.

myResponder is a free SCDF app used by a network of registered Community First Responders, including trained members of the public and off-duty professionals. When a cardiac arrest or a nearby fire is reported to 995, the system can alert responders who are physically close to the scene. It also shows them the location of nearby registered AEDs.

The point is speed. A neighbour two blocks away who starts CPR or arrives with an AED can begin treatment minutes before the ambulance. In cardiac arrest, those minutes are the whole game. Singapore's introduction of myResponder was one of the layered interventions associated with more bystander action and better survival.

Two practical takeaways:

  • If you are willing and able, download myResponder and register. You become part of the response, not just a witness to it.
  • During a live emergency, myResponder is also the best on-scene reference for nearby official AED locations, better than slowly browsing a website.

Where a public AED fits in the sequence

An AED (automated external defibrillator) is the device that can correct certain shockable heart rhythms. It does not replace CPR, and it is not useful for every collapse. It fits into the 995 workflow like this:

  1. Call 995.
  2. Start CPR, coached by the dispatcher if needed.
  3. Send someone to fetch the nearest AED while CPR continues, ideally naming the exact spot so the runner does not guess.
  4. Apply the AED and follow its spoken prompts. It will analyse the rhythm and only advise a shock if one is needed.

The runner should not be the only helper if that means abandoning CPR. If you are alone, keep doing what the dispatcher says. If others are present, assign clear roles: one on 995, one on compressions, one fetching the AED.

The reason to know AED locations before an emergency is that nearly four in five out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Singapore happen at home, where the nearest device is often in another block or behind a locked door outside opening hours. Read access and opening hours so you are not surprised, and where AEDs are commonly found so you know where to look. You can search the directory by postal code, building, or MRT, or browse by area.

What happens when the ambulance arrives

When the SCDF crew reaches you, give a short, factual handover:

  • Roughly when the person collapsed.
  • Whether CPR was done and for how long.
  • Whether an AED was used and if it delivered any shocks.
  • Whether the person moved, gasped, or showed any signs of life.
  • Any known allergies or medical conditions, if a medical ID or family member is present.

Then step back unless the crew asks you to keep helping. They will continue advanced care and decide on transport. Leaving pads in place is usually fine unless the AED or crew says otherwise.

Prepare before you ever dial 995

The workflow works best when you are not learning it for the first time under adrenaline. Three things you can do today:

  • Save nothing to chance on location. Look up AEDs near home, work, and your regular MRT stations, and note the floor and landmark. Walk past one cabinet so the mental image sticks.
  • Download and register on myResponder if you are able to respond.
  • Take a community CPR and AED course. Phone coaching helps, but muscle memory helps more.

If you need to tell the two big cardiac emergencies apart, read cardiac arrest vs heart attack. For the full pre-ambulance playbook, read what to do before an ambulance arrives. For how this directory sources its data, see how we source data.

FAQ: calling 995 in Singapore

What is the difference between 995 and 999?

995 is the SCDF line for fire and medical emergencies, including cardiac arrest. 999 is the Police line. For a collapse or suspected cardiac arrest, call 995.

Should I hang up to go get an AED?

No. Stay on the line with 995. If others are present, send one of them for the AED while you keep doing what the dispatcher says. If you are alone, follow the dispatcher's instructions rather than leaving the person to search.

Can the dispatcher really coach me through CPR if I have never done it?

Yes. Dispatcher-assisted CPR is designed for untrained callers. Keep the phone on speaker, follow the count, and push hard and fast in the centre of the chest. Starting soon matters more than perfect technique.

What does the myResponder app actually do?

It is a free SCDF app that alerts nearby registered Community First Responders to a cardiac arrest or nearby fire and shows the location of nearby AEDs, so trained members of the public can start help before the ambulance arrives.

Is AEDLocator meant to be used during the emergency itself?

Use AEDLocator beforehand to learn the AEDs near places you frequent. During a live emergency, call 995 first and prefer myResponder for official, up-to-date locations and responder alerts.