SBS Transit equips 53 buses with AEDs to boost community first response
SBS Transit bus captain Jiao Junli went above and beyond his call of duty on Jun 9, 2023.
An elderly woman had passed out at a bus stop and a bystander was performing CPR on her.
The 45-year-old driver stopped the bus and took over until paramedics arrived and took the woman to hospital.
With the latest addition to the buses, Mr Jiao would get extra help in a similar situation.
SBS Transit (SBST) has equipped 53 public buses and three patrol cars with onboard automated external defibrillators (AEDs) sponsored by Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF).
Launched on Nov 8, the AED-on-Buses programme allows SBST bus captains and commuters to use AEDs in the event of medical emergencies before the arrival of paramedics.
SBST is the first public transport operator to join the AED-on-Buses, which is part of the AED-on-Wheels programme launched in Nov 2015.
The AED-on-Buses is a critical component of the Save-A-Life Initiative by the SCDF. As of Oct 2024, 545 suspected cardiac arrest cases were attended to by drivers under the AED-on-Wheels programme.
The initiative aims to improve community first response to cardiac arrest cases and public accessibility to AEDs.
Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Muhammad Faishal Ibrahim said at the launch: “With this initiative, AED accessibility and coverage will be provided to 33,000 bus commuters daily.”
The 53 public buses under the programme ply residential areas with a high elderly population and industrial regions, where immediate access to AEDs may be limited.
AED-on-Buses enables community first responders to be activated via the myResponder app, which displays the location of nearby AEDs.
Of the 53 buses, nine operate service 138 between Ang Mo Kio and Singapore Zoo; 17 are on service 268, which operates within Ang Mo Kio; and 27 on service 851, running between Yishun and Bukit Merah. Over 100 bus captains are on the AED-on-Buses routes.
Mr Faishal said: “All SBS Transit bus captains participating in the AED-on-Buses programme are CPR-AED trained."
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now