It could be responding to a false-alarm call instead.
Last year, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said 4,288
trips - or about 12 a day - were triggered by such calls.
This number was up by 16 per cent from 2007's 3,687 figure.
In 2006, the number was 2,865.
False alarms include non-emergency cases and prank calls.
'The calls are largely from well-meaning adults who summon
ambulances out of good intent and not as pranks when they see
people in medical distress,' said Lieutenant-Colonel N. Subhas,
director of public affairs department at the SCDF.
However, these cases often turn out to be minor. There are also
instances where the people involved tell the paramedics that they
do not want to go to the hospital or have already left the
scene.
But for those who insist they be taken to a hospital, even if
their condition is deemed minor, they have to pay $165.
The rising number of false-alarm calls was among the statistics
released by the SCDF on Thursday.
There were 111,127 emergency calls made last year, up 9 per cent
from 2007.
The higher demand for ambulances, due to an ageing and growing
population, has led the SCDF to rope in one private operator whose
10 ambulances will join SCDF's fleet of 40 from June.
Given the demand, it is naturally imperative that ambulances are
not diverted to handle prank calls.
Those caught making these calls face a fine of up to $5,000 or
imprisonment of up to three months, or both.
Private ambulance operators said they also get one or two prank
calls each a month.
'We try to make sure they give us a number and we will call them
back while the ambulance is being activated,' said Ms Josephine
Ham, 39, operations manager of Hope Ambulance Services, which runs
a fleet of 10 vehicles.
Still, prank callers can get away scot-free as service providers
like M1 and SingTel are unable to reveal a caller's identity for
confidentiality reasons, unless it involves a serious crime case,
she added.
At Civic Ambulance Services, which has 30 ambulances, operations
director Pritpal Singh, 45, said: 'We have a team of operators at
our 24-hour call centre to handle and screen every call.'
Over at the SCDF, although false alarms make up only 3 per cent
of calls, Lt-Col Subhas said: 'Attending to prank calls is a waste
of resources that could be dispatched to genuine cases
instead.'
Ms Indranee Rajah, an MP for Tanjong Pagar GRC, warned prank
callers that they are 'tying up a resource'.
'Unlike many other agencies, the SCDF has to deal with life and
death situations. When you interfere with that role, it is no
longer funny. Someone can die as a result,' she said.
She advises those unsure of their conditions to check with the
operator before asking for an emergency ambulance.
'The operators can explain to them the difference between an
emergency and civil ambulance and advise them on the options
available,' she said.
--ST
