Fires involving active mobility devices in Singapore down nearly 27% in 2025: SCDF

Key Concepts

• Active Mobility Device (AMD) Fires: Fires involving Power Assisted Bicycles (PABs) and Personal Mobility Devices (PMDs).
• Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF): The primary agency responsible for firefighting and emergency medical services in Singapore.
• Community First Responders: Volunteers trained to provide immediate assistance in medical emergencies before the arrival of professional help.
• My Responder App: SCDF’s mobile application used to alert community first responders to nearby emergencies.
• Automated External Defibrillator (AED): A portable device used to deliver an electric shock to the heart in cases of cardiac arrest.
• Cardiac Arrest: The sudden loss of heart function, breathing, and consciousness.

Decline in Active Mobility Device Fires & Overall Fire Trends

Fires involving active mobility devices (AMDs) – specifically power assisted bicycles (PABs) and personal mobility devices (PMDs) – decreased by nearly 27% in 2025, totaling 49 cases. This reduction was primarily driven by a decline in PAB-related fires. However, fires involving PMDs actually increased during the same period. Despite this overall drop, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) maintains concern due to the rapid spread potential of these fires, particularly within residential settings.

Overall fire incidents in Singapore saw a slight increase of 3% in 2025, reaching over 2,000 cases. This rise was attributed to increased fires in both residential and non-residential areas, resulting in 94 fire injuries and six fatalities. Residential fires specifically rose by almost 9%, exceeding 1,000 cases. The leading causes of these residential fires were unattended cooking and faults in electrical wiring or appliances. Notably, despite the recent increase, the overall trend of residential fires has remained relatively stable over the past five years.

Increased Emergency Medical Service Demand & Aging Population

The demand for emergency medical services (EMS) also increased in 2025, with the SCDF responding to over 257,000 cases – a rise of almost 5% from the previous year. A significant portion of these calls, nearly half, involved seniors aged 64 and above. Authorities anticipate this trend will continue due to Singapore’s aging population demographic. This increasing demand underscores the importance of readily available emergency response capabilities.

Growth of Community First Responder Network

Alongside professional emergency services, the role of community first responders is expanding significantly. The response rate of these volunteers to suspected cardiac arrests and minor fires increased substantially, from approximately 50% in 2024 to over 72% in 2025. This growth is reflected in the increasing number of sign-ups for the SCDF’s My Responder app, with over 47,000 new volunteers joining in 2025.

Case Study: Sara Khan & Community Lifesaver Award

The impact of community first responders is exemplified by the experience of Sara Khan, a 27-year-old engineer and five-year veteran of the program. In September, Ms. Khan received an alert via the My Responder app regarding a man who collapsed at a badminton court. Responding immediately, she and other trained volunteers assessed the situation and initiated Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR). Ms. Khan described her initial reaction as “quite worried…just trying to make this person’s life…giving you a chance you know to survive.” The man survived, and Ms. Khan, along with three other responders, was awarded the SCDF Community Lifesaver Award. As Ms. Khan stated, “Even if there's one responder nearby, um they can make a difference between life and death because I believe that when we work together, we can make a community a little safer.”

Statistics & Future Goals

As of the end of November 2025, over 250,000 community first responders are registered. Through the My Responder app, these responders have successfully saved 160 cardiac arrest victims. Singapore’s ambition is to expand this network to approximately 1 million responders – representing 20% of the population – and to ensure an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is available within 250 meters of all residential areas. This initiative aims to establish Singapore as a “nation of lifesavers.”

CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation): A life-saving technique involving chest compressions and rescue breaths to maintain circulation and oxygenation when someone’s heart has stopped.

AED (Automated External Defibrillator): A device that delivers an electrical shock to the heart to restore a normal rhythm during a cardiac arrest.