Emergency call for a…. pet parrot? We speak to Singaporeans who dialled 995 for the wackiest situations, Singapore News

What’s the strangest reason you’ve ever considered calling an ambulance for? While we generally know that we should only dial 995 for life-threatening emergencies, these two Singaporeans dished the wackiest moments that ended in a call for the 995 emergency hotline.

We dive into these calls and the grey area where ‘misplaced panic’ is actually a ‘non-emergency’.

Before you read their stories below, watch the video at the top of this page to see their literal ‘facepalm’ reactions as they recount these non-emergencies in person.

The ‘family member’ who wasn’t breathing

SCDF Paramedic Captain (CPT) Tan Yu Xian shared that her colleagues attended to a call, where the caller said that a beloved family member was ‘not breathing’.

Upon arrival, her colleague was ready to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) only to find out that the afflicted was their pet parrot.

Embarrassing falls and accidents

Media strategist Danial Zahrin recalled that he had once come across an accident, where a child had gotten her leg stuck in a bicycle rack.

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He happened to be there when the paramedic and firefighters were already on scene and helping the child. Funnily enough, the child was freed after a quick and easy fix – all she had to do was turn to her side and lift her leg out.

It was a bewildering moment for both the paramedic and firefighters who traded awkward glances with Danial.

For writer Kimberly Foo, the topic of wacky 995 calls brought to mind a moment when her friend still hadn’t shown up to work even when it was nearing lunch. Worried, she called to check if she had overslept, instead all she could hear was loud wailing and crying.

Thinking that her friend had gotten into a serious accident, she urged her friend to call an ambulance if she was injured. But it turns out that her friend had only suffered an embarrassingly bad fall after waking up late for work – she had a cut on her lip, but nothing that required emergency medical attention.

A real emergency is no laughing matter

While these stories depict harmless situations that happen out of the blue, it is important to note that these are not real emergencies.

In 2025, the SCDF responded to about 17,300 calls that were non-emergencies and false alarm calls.

In the video, CPT Yu Xian shared a heartfelt moment where she and her team were given a sobering reminder that some calls are a matter of life and death.

Remember that calling 995 is only for life-threatening emergencies such as:

• Cardiac arrest
• Breathing difficulties
• Stroke
• Seizure

For non-emergencies, including ankle sprains, the flu, and stomach aches, visit a general practitioner or dial the NurseFirst hotline at 6262 6262 to seek medical advice.

This article is brought to you in partnership with Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF). 

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