First Response Emergency Care (FREC 3), Level 3 Award

A five-day Qualsafe Level 3 Award in First Response Emergency Care (FREC 3), delivered with our partner Centre4 Medical. You'll learn to assess and treat casualties at the scene of an emergency, working alongside ambulance crews and other clinicians.

Booking terms and conditions

Overview

FREC 3 is a regulated prehospital care qualification for people who may be first on scene when someone is badly hurt or taken seriously ill. It goes well past workplace first aid. You'll learn how to manage a scene, look after a patient's airway, control life-threatening bleeding, give oxygen and hand over to clinicians. The course runs face to face over five days, with a small amount of reading to do before you arrive. We deliver it with our partner Centre4 Medical, and every group is taught at no more than six learners to each trainer/assessor, so you get proper hands-on time and feedback. Who it's for Qualsafe describes FREC 3 as a good fit for: - Close Protection Operatives, Door Supervisors and Security Guards - People providing event medical cover - First Responders, and those who'd like to become one - Police, fire, emergency medical services and search and rescue personnel - People working in high-risk settings, such as the military, power stations, offshore renewable energy, agriculture and manufacturing The course is open to everyone. You don't need a security, military or medical background to join. Duration and assessment The course runs over five days, Monday to Friday. Qualsafe sets the total qualification time at 55 hours: at least 37 hours of guided learning with your trainers, plus around 18 hours of reading and preparation in your own time. Qualsafe recommends you have the learning materials at least 10 days before the course, and the reading is an important part of being ready. You're assessed throughout the week in three ways: - Practical assessments, observed by your trainer. There are six: adult basic life support, child basic life support, infant basic life support, airway and ventilation skills, prehospital emergency trauma care, and prehospital emergency medical care - An invigilated exam: 21 questions in 30 minutes, with a pass mark of 16 - A multiple choice paper: 40 questions in 60 minutes, with a pass mark of 28 The result is pass or fail, and you need to pass every assessment to achieve the qualification. You have up to 20 weeks to complete everything, including any resits. After the course To stay qualified you'll need to requalify before your certificate expires. The requalification course is at least three days. If you let it lapse beyond the permitted window, you'd need to take the full five-day course again. Qualsafe also recommends a basic life support update every year, and keeping a log of the incidents you attend and how you're keeping your skills current. It's worth knowing that the certificate isn't a licence to practise on its own. It shows an employer you've met all the outcomes of the qualification, and employers decide how you work within their own clinical governance. Where it can lead FREC 3 can count towards further qualifications at the same level and above, including the Qualsafe Level 4 Certificate in First Response Emergency Care (FREC 4), which we also run. It can also help if you're thinking about a career as a paramedic, nurse or allied health professional. Booking ahead Qualsafe asks us to register each course at least 20 working days before it starts, so please book as early as you can.