Duties

As a uniformed volunteer you will be asked to attend public events to provide first aid or ambulance cover, we call this a duty. Volunteers sign up for duties based on their free time and availability, all new members will be paired with more experienced members.

Providing first aid

Once you have completed your basic first aid training and your joining process is complete you will be given a uniform and will be ready to go on duty. We never work alone, you will always be paired with another member or be part of a team on duty. Whilst you gain confidence in treating patients you will be paired with an experienced member who will fully support and guide you through the treatment.

You may choose to start by observing and assisting the other member in treatment. This will help you learn about patient care and communication skills and introduce you to the paperwork that we complete for treatment.

As you gain experience and confidence you will be able to work more independently and your people skills will naturally improve. We always help each other, we don't expect any first aider to fill in the paperwork, sort the equipment and treat the patient without help. You should always feel comfortable to ask for a second opinion or guidance from your partner, they'll be happy to help.

If you become an ambulance attendant you will need to be able to work more independently, your partner may be driving so they can't help you with treatment. However we only transport when we are happy that we can manage the patient's condition and any pre-transport treatment is complete. You still are not alone; if you need support then the driver will stop and assist you. All our ambulance attendants are also experienced first aiders, you won't progress to this level until you are ready, if you choose to undertake this training. 

Commitment

As a volunteer we appreciate that your availability for duties will vary depending on your individual circumstances and other commitments. We are therefore very flexible in how and when you volunteer. Normally a volunteer will do an average of one or two duties a month. Some members choose to do more than this and some choose to do less.

Attending events as a first aider is important as it will give you the experience and confidence you need to become a truly skilled first aider and deliver excellent care to our patients. If you don't feel that you can commit to being a uniformed volunteer then you may want to consider volunteering in a support role.