First Response Courses

FREC Training Courses (FREC 3, FREC 4 & FREC 5)

If you’re looking for professional prehospital care training and a clear progression route, EMS SE Ltd delivers

the full First Response Emergency Care (FREC) pathway:

-FREC 3 – the essential foundation for first response emergency care

-FREC 4 – intermediate prehospital care with enhanced patient assessment and urgent care skills

-FREC 5 / FREUC5 – a comprehensive Level 5 diploma designed for out-of-hospital emergency and urgent care associate practitioner roles (including supervised clinical practice placements)

Each course builds real-world capability through structured learning outcomes, practical skills and assessment.

FREC 3

Qualification : Qualsafe Level 3 Award in First Response Emergency Care (RQF)

Course overview

The FREC 3 course is a widely recognised entry route into prehospital emergency care, ideal for learners who need to provide first response emergency care in the workplace, community, voluntary roles, or specialist sectors. You’ll develop the knowledge and practical competence to manage a broad range of prehospital situations—from initial scene assessment through to urgent treatment and handover.

What the course consists of:

FREC 3 is structured around three key areas:

  1. Patient Assessment and Management

  2. Emergency Trauma

  3. Focused Emergency and Urgent Care

Training combines classroom learning with hands-on practical skills practice and scenario-based application.

What you will learn on FREC 3

Patient assessment and management

  • The role and responsibilities of a first responder, including duty of care, working within scope of practice, and maintaining professional standards

  • Consent and capacity, information governance and confidentiality

  • How to record an incident and deliver a clear handover

  • Scene and incident assessment and patient assessment principles (including primary and secondary survey concepts)

  • Essential life support skills including Basic Life Support (BLS) and use of an Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

  • Airway and ventilation management (core airway skills and safe ventilation support)

Emergency trauma

  • A structured approach to trauma using DR<C>ABCDE / <C>ABCDE, primary and secondary survey, and prioritised care for time-critical injuries

  • Management of multi-system trauma, including airway management, emergency oxygen (where appropriate), bleeding control, immobilisation and safe patient packaging for evacuation

  • Catastrophic haemorrhage recognition and control (e.g., direct pressure, wound packing, haemostatic agents and tourniquets)

  • Recognition and management of chest injuries, including potentially life-threatening patterns such as evolving/actual tension pneumothorax

  • Bleeding and circulation management, including types of bleeding, internal bleeding indicators, and recognition/management of hypovolaemic shock

  • Recognition and treatment principles for burns and poisoning

  • Recognition and management of head, spinal and musculoskeletal injuries, including manual stabilisation, safe helmet removal, immobilisation devices, and common fractures/dislocations/sprains

Focused emergency and urgent care

  • How to identify and manage patients with breathing difficulties (respiratory system basics, risk factors for respiratory distress)

  • Recognition and management principles for asthma and anaphylaxis

  • Recognising suspected major illness (for example: acute coronary syndrome, stroke, sepsis, meningococcal disease, diabetic hypoglycaemia) and escalating appropriately

  • Recognition and management principles for convulsions

  • Recognition and management of drowning (including non-fatal drowning guidance and airway/oxygen considerations)

What you will be capable of after completing FREC 3

On successful completion, you will be able to:

  • Provide safe, prompt, effective first response emergency care within your training and organisational scope

  • Perform structured patient assessment and deliver a clear clinical handover

  • Deliver BLS + AED confidently and manage core airway/ventilation tasks

  • Manage major trauma priorities: catastrophic bleeding control, chest injury management principles, immobilisation and shock recognition

  • Recognise and respond to urgent medical emergencies including respiratory distress, anaphylaxis, seizures/convulsions, major illness indicators and drowning

FREC 4

Qualification : Qualsafe Level 4 Certificate in First Response Emergency Care (RQF)

Course overview

The FREC 4 course develops an intermediate level of prehospital care knowledge, aimed at learners who are (or plan to be) in roles where they’re expected to assess patients using a variety of methods, including physiological measures, and act on their findings.

What the course consists of

FREC 4 is built around three components:

1. Patient Assessment and Management (enhanced assessment, physiology and ECG)

2. Emergency Trauma Care (thoracic trauma, injury patterns and major incidents)

3. Focused Emergency and Urgent Care (including the sick child, respiratory illness and sepsis)

It also includes off-course study and assignments (workbooks) alongside in-course practical skill development.

What you will learn on FREC 4

Patient assessment and management

- Advanced structured patient assessment using the <C>ABCDE approach for life-threatening and non-life-threatening illness/injury

- Patient classification using triage tools

- Performing and interpreting key physiological measurements, including (examples): blood pressure, temperature, pupillary response, blood glucose, peak flow, SpO₂, and FAST-style checks

- The structure and function of the heart and conduction system

- Lead and 12-lead ECG: acquiring traces and identifying key rhythms (including shockable vs non-shockable recognition)

Enhanced airway management skills including use of supraglottic airway devices

Safe use and principles of administering medical gases such as oxygen and Entonox (as applicable to role and scope)

Emergency trauma care

- Anatomy/physiology applied to trauma: respiratory, musculoskeletal and nervous systems

- Thoracic injury patterns and management priorities (including evolving tension pneumothorax)

- Mechanisms of injury and injury kinetics to anticipate patterns of trauma

- Providing emergency care to traumatically injured patients (assessment, prioritisation, packaging, extrication/immobilisation principles)

- Major incident and CBRNE awareness, including structured reporting (e.g., METHANE)

- Considerations for complex incidents such as sexual assault presentations (appropriate management and escalation pathways)

Focused emergency and urgent care

- Understanding physical and psychosocial development in children and young people (to support paediatric assessment)

- Common childhood illnesses (examples include bronchiolitis, croup, epiglottitis, meningococcal septicaemia, viral wheeze)

- Key principles for managing common respiratory disorders and infections (examples include asthma, bronchitis, emphysema, pneumonia, cystic fibrosis)

- Recognising and managing sepsis, including concepts such as SIRS, septic shock and MODS

- Assisting clinicians with clinical tasks and procedures within scope (examples include endotracheal intubation support, cannulation, intraosseous access and infusion support)

What you will be capable of after completing FREC 4

On successful completion, you will be able to:

- Carry out intermediate-level prehospital assessment using physiological observations and structured approaches

- Acquire and interpret ECG information at a level appropriate to the qualification and scope

- Use enhanced airway adjuncts (including supraglottic airways) and apply medical gas principles safely

- Recognise and manage more complex trauma presentations, including thoracic trauma and injury-pattern recognition

- Identify and respond appropriately to the sick child, respiratory illness and sepsis

- Support clinical interventions and deliver clearer, more clinically relevant handovers to the next echelon of care

FREC 5

Qualification: Qualsafe Level 5 Diploma in First Response Emergency and Urgent Care (RQF)

Course overview

FREUC5 (often referred to as FREC 5) is a comprehensive Level 5 programme for learners working (or aiming to work) in out-of-hospital emergency and urgent care, supporting registered healthcare professionals. FREUC5 Associate Practitioners may work as individuals or part of a team responding to emergency and urgent calls, providing high-quality, compassionate care to sick and injured patients.

What the course consists of

This diploma includes:

- 6 mandatory components

- A significant clinical practice placement requirement (supervised hours in emergency/urgent care settings)

- A blend of theory, portfolio work, exams and practical assessments/OSCE-style assessment

What you will learn on FREUC5 / “FREC 5”

Component themes include:

Professional practice as an associate practitioner

- The role and responsibilities of emergency and urgent care associate practitioners, professional behaviours, scope of practice, governance and continual development

- Communication, teamwork and non-technical skills, including situational awareness and decision making

- Supervision/mentorship responsibilities and contribution to service development where appropriate

Patient assessment, technical skills and resuscitation

- Safe preparation and use of patient monitoring and resuscitation equipment

- Comprehensive assessment and management approaches aligned to out-of-hospital emergency care practice

- Practical competence built through structured clinical skills and assessment

Applied anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology

- Advanced applied A&P to underpin decision making in emergency and urgent care

- Understanding how pathophysiology presents in the out-of-hospital environment and how to recognise deterioration early

Patients with specific needs

- Emergency and urgent care considerations in maternity-related presentations and childbirth complications

- Supporting clinicians during childbirth emergencies in the prehospital setting (within scope)

- End-of-life care considerations, including palliative care emergencies, communication and appropriate escalation

Medical gases and lifesaving medication

- Principles and safe administration of medical gases and lifesaving medication

- Safety checks and risk reduction (right patient/right drug/right dose, contraindications, allergies, documentation)

- Recognising and responding to adverse reactions and ensuring safe storage, disposal and resupply procedures

- Working in line with current guidelines and organisational protocols (e.g., JRCALC and Trust guidance where applicable)

Trauma care and major, complex and high-risk incidents

- Professional behaviours, leadership, communication and non-technical skills under pressure

- Scene assessment and management principles (e.g., structured scene assessment approaches)

- Major incident preparedness and operating safely in dynamic, high-risk environments

What you will be capable of after completing FREC 5

On successful completion you will be able to:

- Work as a FREUC5 Associate Practitioner supporting registered healthcare professionals in out-of-hospital emergency and urgent care

- Undertake enhanced clinical assessment, evaluate patient conditions and manage unwell or traumatically injured patients prior to escalation/referral

- Demonstrate safe practice with medical gases and lifesaving medication administration processes within agreed protocols

Apply advanced clinical reasoning supported by applied A&P and structured patient assessment approaches

- Operate effectively at complex incidents, using strong situational awareness, communication, teamwork and scene-management principles