Job overview

“Exciting volunteering opportunities have arisen within South Western Ambulance NHS Foundation Trust for Community First Responders to join Community First Responder schemes across Wiltshire.

We welcome applicants from throughout Wiltshire; however we are particularly interested in people from the following areas:

Ludgershall, South of Devizes, Burbage (new group), Mere, Tisbury, Calne, Midsommer Norton, Malmesbury (new group), Lavingtons, Devizes, Warminster, rural district west of Salisbury (Tisbury, Teffont, Berwick St James, Broad Chalke), Paulton, Pewsey, Westbury, Lyneham, Tidworth + (fire co-responder locations): Cricklade, Ramsbury, Bradford-on-Avon, Mere, Tisbury, Malmesbury, Royal Wootton Bassett.

A Community First Responder (CFR) scheme is made up of a group of trained volunteers who within the community in which they live or work attend emergency calls on behalf of South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust to provide patient care, including basic life support, until the arrival of an emergency ambulance.Applicants will have a good all round education; a full driving license held for at least one year, with no more than 6 current penalty points and have access to a vehicle with current tax, MOT and insurance for your use. 

Main duties of the job

As a volunteer and a member of a Community First Responder Scheme you would provide this community based service willingly and without pay. This role is highly rewarding and offers opportunities to meet new people and learn valuable lifesaving skills through the training provided by South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.

It is vital you include what would make you a exceptional Community First Responder and how you meet the person specification for the role. Please be aware, if there is not currently a Community First Responder scheme running within a 3 mile radius of your home postcode you may not be short listed. Should you wish to respond from your work place as well as or instead of your home address, please detail this in the additional information section.

When applying for this position, please be aware that you must be able to attend the following interview dates and all of the training course.

Interviews are scheduled to be held during the week commencing Monday 28 July 2025.

The training course location Methuen Park. 

Saturday 4th October 2025

Sunday 5th October 2025

Saturday 11th October 2025

Sunday 12th October 2025

Saturday 25th October 2025

Sunday 26th October 2025

 If you are unable to make all of the training days please do not apply for this intake. The next planned is provisionally planned for early in 2025, please get in touch by if you would like to register your interest for a later course.

Working for our organisation

At South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) we have a culture where everyone is valued for being themselves. Our aim is to work together to promote the most inclusive environment possible, which attracts people from the widest range of backgrounds and experiences to enrich the work that we do together, for the benefit of all of our employees, our patients and the communities we serve. We offer flexible working opportunities, inclusive policies and a range of feedback mechanisms to support individuals and to enable a positive, welcoming environment where our people and their careers can thrive in.

We employ over 5,000 employees mainly clinical, operational and emergency response staff as well as supporting roles. We also employ Doctors and volunteers which include community first responders and fire co-responders.

We take all the steps needed to provide the most compassionate patient care possible whilst also providing an enjoyable and safe place to work. We actively promote a positive set of behaviours as being key to our performance both individually and collectively. Our recruitment, selection and screening processes are designed to uphold these standards and we invite all our candidates to actively share with us through these processes how they will bring these behaviours to life.

To view the Trust's Mission, Vision, Values and Goals click here