While EMS calls saw a slight decline, SCDF recorded an increase in fire incidents
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received 245,279 Emergency Medical Services (EMS) calls in 2024, reflecting a slight decrease of 0.6 per cent compared to the previous year. However, the average daily call volume remained high at 672 calls per day—28 per cent above the pre-pandemic level of 525 daily calls in 2019.
Emergency calls accounted for 93.3 per cent of all EMS responses, with 79.5 per cent related to medical emergencies such as chest pain and cardiac arrest. Trauma cases made up 16.3 per cent, while road traffic accidents comprised 4.2 per cent. SCDF also noted a decline in false alarm EMS calls, which dropped by 9.1 per cent to 5,713 cases. This reduction has been attributed to ongoing public education efforts aimed at preventing unnecessary emergency calls.
While EMS calls saw a slight decline, SCDF recorded an increase in fire incidents. The agency responded to 1,990 fire cases in 2024, up by 1.8 per cent from 1,954 cases in 2023. Fires in residential premises remained relatively stable, decreasing marginally by 0.2 per cent to 968 cases. The most common causes of these incidents were unattended cooking and electrical faults. However, a concerning trend emerged with fires involving Active Mobility Devices (AMDs), which surged by 21.8 per cent to 67 cases. Notably, incidents in residential premises rose from 35 to 44.
Non-residential fire incidents also saw a slight uptick, rising by 2.7 per cent to 415 cases. Fires occurring in non-building premises, such as vehicle and vegetation fires, increased by 4.7 per cent to 607 cases. The most significant rise was observed in vegetation fires, which surged by 35.3 per cent to 180 cases.
In terms of fire safety enforcement, SCDF conducted 15,075 checks in 2024, reflecting a minor increase of 0.2 per cent. The number of Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHANs) issued dropped by 5.7 per cent to 2,579, with the most common violation being the non-maintenance of firefighting equipment. Notices of Offence (NOO) saw a more significant decline of 27.6 per cent to 1,061 cases, with unauthorised changes in the use of premises being the most frequent infraction. Court actions for fire safety violations also dropped by 25.7 per cent to 107 cases.
SCDF reiterated its commitment to enforcement and public engagement efforts to ensure fire safety compliance. One area where public participation has grown significantly is emergency response through the myResponder app. The response rate for cardiac arrest and minor fire incidents increased by 6.5 per cent to 50.3 per cent in 2024. The app saw 40,245 new sign-ups, a 14.1 per cent rise from the previous year, bringing the total number of community responders to over 203,000 since its launch in 2015.
SCDF acknowledged the crucial role of public participation in emergency response, highlighting that 94 cardiac arrest victims received timely assistance from community responders alerted through the app. The agency emphasised that continued collaboration between emergency services and the public remains key to enhancing Singapore’s overall safety and emergency preparedness.
