A Trainer by Day, a Hero by Night

In the day, she conducts CPR+AED training for the community; at night, she volunteers for the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF)’s Civil Defence Auxiliary Unit (CDAU) and helps to save lives. Denise Ng, Assistant Manager at the Singapore Heart Foundation, was the only Asian to receive the 40 Under 40 award given by The Citizen CPR Foundation in 2019, in recognition of her dedication to strengthening the future of sudden cardiac arrest training, response and survival.

Congrats Denise, how do you feel about receiving the award?

I am very thankful that SHF nominated me for the award and honoured to be the only Asian to receive the award last year. It is good to know that my efforts had not been wasted and it motivates me to work harder to strengthen the future of CPR and AED.

How did first learn about life-saving?

I didn’t know anything about CPR and AED before I joined SHF. When my friend showed me the job opening, I thought it was a meaningful one where I can learn important life-saving skills and share them with others.

With the newly gained knowledge, I also signed up to volunteer with the CDAU in August 2015. As a volunteer, I will follow the ambulance to assist with emergency cases and if time permits, I will also help at the SCDF events as an instructor or medic onsite. It motivates me whenever I receive appreciation from my participants as well as when a life is saved as I volunteer.

I have also trained my two sons, 7 and 9 years old, in the basic lifesaving knowledge, e.g. to call 995 during an emergency, the position to place their palm when doing a CPR and how to use an AED. Although they are still young, I feel that it is never too early to learn these important skills. You never know when you will need it and can even save a loved one.

Tell us more about what you do in SHF?

I joined the Foundation in 2008 and have been working on the Heart Safe programme for the past 12 years. Our mission is to improve the out-of-hospital sudden cardiac arrest survival rate in Singapore by creating an environment for more effective use of CPR and AED in the community through various initiatives.

One of the key initiatives will be the CPR+AED and BCLS+AED certification/instructor courses, which I provide administrative support for participants. I am also part of the core team to execute training protocol and procedures developed by the Singapore Resuscitation & First Aid Council (SRFAC).

Together with my team and partnering organisations like the Sport Singapore and People’s Association, we started the National Life Saving Day in 2011 where we conducted a mass CPR+AED certification training. Thereafter, it was converted to the annual Project Heart where we certified more than 7,000 participants since its launch in 2012. In 2019 alone, we also certified about 4,000 participants through the certification courses.

Singapore Heart Foundation now offers a CPR+AED Blended Learning, a combination of online theory-based learning and in-class practical and assessment. This model saves you time spent in the physical classroom but still allows you to receive a 2-year certification upon successful completion of the programme.