Emergencies and Assessment
Training topics include fainting, heat injury, burns, bleeding, sprains, fractures/dislocations, stroke, seizures and cardiac arrest. Stroke FAST means facial droop, arm weakness, speech difficulty and time to call emergency help. Build an action plan using DRSABC (danger, response, shout, AED, breathing, compressions) and SAMPLE (signs, allergies, medication, past history, last meal and preceding events).
DARE and Emergency Response
The one-hour hands-on DARE programme teaches response while staying on the line with the dispatcher before ambulance arrival. Check scene safety, approach safely, call 995 with the location, remain with SCDF dispatch and assess the casualty. For a person who is unresponsive and not breathing normally, follow dispatcher-led CPR and AED instructions. The current Singapore BCLS/AED 2026 guidance states adult compressions at 100–120 per minute and 4–6 cm depth, with full recoil. This updates the general depth wording in the older MOM learning FAQ.
Course Duration Update: The original MOM learning material describes a one-hour DARE session; the current UPEC programme page lists 45 minutes. Check the UPEC DARE Programme ↗ for current arrangements.
AED and Training Questions
AED pads need bare-skin contact, with clothing cut if necessary using the supplied scissors and modesty protected where practical. Follow device diagrams and voice prompts rather than improvising placement. MOM discusses pad-position questions, rib injury, brand choice, household use and CPR/AED for pregnancy: pregnancy alone is not a reason to withhold indicated resuscitation. Report possible injury to paramedics and follow current trained/dispatcher instructions rather than reducing effective CPR based on an old FAQ. No AED brand preference is stated; nearby public AEDs may be available at HDB void decks. CEPP, Red Cross and St John course links are retained below.