First Response Unit Ambulance Volunteer

Ko wai mātou - About us:

Hato Hone St John has been serving New Zealanders and working to save lives since 1885. As well as providing Ambulance Services, our programmes and team of over 11,000 staff and volunteers are helping to build strong, resilient communities across the motu; supporting everyone in Aotearoa to live healthier, happier and longer lives.

He aha te tūranga - About the role:  

We are looking for a team of volunteers to operate our First Response Unit (FRU) ambulance to supplement our frontline crews. 

The First Response Unit will operate in time-critical emergency incidents (i.e. a cardiac arrest) when a full-time ambulance is not immediately available. The FRU volunteers will be supplied with pagers and can choose whether or not they can respond, there is no roster or obligation. Volunteer crews will meet at the Station, take the FRU to the scene to and provide the critical patient care until further assistance arrives. 

What Hato Hone St John will provide:

• Continuous and regular NZQA recognised advanced first aid and clinical training
• Driving and radio training
• Pager/responder tools
• Ongoing support
• An excellent sense of team and purpose
• Membership of one of New Zealand's most trusted brands as well as benefits and discounts for St John services and products and at national and local retailers

Support you can expect after joining our team

We will give you all the support and education needed to make you safe and effective in the field. This includes:

• A two day Operations Induction course.
• A two day Operations Risk Management course which is designed to help you stay safe in the field.
• A two day Ambulance Driving course (where driving is part of your role) which is supported by online learning and the completion of a driving logbook.
• A four day First Responder course which is designed to enable you to assess patients and manage immediately life threatening emergencies in the community. This is supported by online learning and the completion of a First Responder Student workbook.

At the completion of the Operations Risk Management and First Responder courses you will be issued with a Level 3 New Zealand Certificate in Emergency Care (First Responder) and will hold the clinical practice level of First Responder (the foundation clinical level for ambulance in New Zealand).

o wai koe - About you:

Before you apply; you will need the following:

• A full and clean NZ driver's licence for at least 12 months or have completed an approved NZTA advanced driving course (if full licence held for less than 12 months) 
• To be 18 years of age or over 
• A New Zealand citizenship or permanent resident status 
• A Clean Police record 
• To be able pass the St John assessment requirements - physical / literacy / numeracy test plus an interview 
• Meet our health requirements by passing a health questionnaire 
• To be trustworthy and reliable 
• Have excellent communication skills (written and oral) 
• Have great time management 
• To be computer literate 
• Have flexibility for responding at nights
• Ideally be living within a short drive from the Station

Your commitment

• Once accepted, your online and classroom training will take around 6-9 months to complete.
• Upon completion of training, you will be expected to remain engaged in training and attend a reasonable number of callouts. 

Me pēhea te tuku tono - How to apply

Click “I’m interested” before applications close on Sunday 3th August 2025

For more information, please contact Nikki Canoville - Recruitment Advisor at [email protected] or at 021 212 9994 for a confidential discussion

At Hato Hone St John, we embrace diversity, welcoming everyone to bring their authentic selves to work. We value unique perspectives, fostering inclusivity to better serve our communities, and we’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone belongs.

E pōhiritia nei e mātou, te whānau o Hato Hone St John, ngā rereketanga o ia tāngata ki te haramai. E āwhinatia e mātou i ngā whakaaro rereke, kia mahi pai i roto i ngā hāpori katoa. Ko ta mātou nei haepapa, kia hangaia tātahi āhuru mōwai mā tātou, kia mahi haumaru ai.

If you need accommodations for accessibility, please reach out to the recruiter listed for equitable participation in our recruitment process.

Research shows that women and people from under-represented groups are less likely to apply for roles when their experience doesn’t match the job description perfectly. If you’re excited and think you have what it takes, we want to hear from you! Even if your experience doesn’t align 100%. Please apply or contact the recruitment advisor listed on the advertisement for a kōrero.