Volunteering FAQs

Our volunteers are the face of SAAS in country South Australia. We provide our operational volunteers with all the necessary training, including a nationally recognised qualification – at no cost to you! We will also cover the cost of any police checks, medical assessments and immunisations required as part of the onboarding process. All our volunteers are provided with free ambulance cover for their immediate family and have access to our Peer Support and Employee Assistance Programs. When you become a SAAS volunteer, you become a part of the SAAS family and an integral member of your local community.

Hopefully the FAQs can answer any questions you may have, but if not, please give us a call on 1300 175 584 or email SAASVolunteer@sa.gov.au. The Volunteer Support Unit will be happy to have a chat! If you wish to apply now, click here or below, to start your application.

Once you have submitted your application, the team leaders in your region will give you a call to chat about your local team and what they do for your community. As part of the onboarding process, you will require:

• Current driver’s licence
• National Police Check (we will assist you to obtain this)
• Working with Children Check (we will assist you to obtain this)
• Relevant VISA and passport (if not an Australian resident)
• Medical assessment (we will provide paperwork for your doctor to complete)
• Immunisation screening (we will assist you with this)

To ensure the health and safety of our workforce and the communities we serve, operational volunteers are required to achieve and maintain their immunity against the following vaccine preventable diseases: Hepatitis B, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, Chickenpox, Diptheria, Tetanus, Pertussis and Poliomyelitis, in addition to two doses of a TGA approved COVID-19 vaccine. Volunteers are also strongly recommended to have an Influenza vaccination each year. As part of the application process, SAAS will review your immunisation records and will cover the cost of any outstanding vaccinations.

At this time, SAAS do not have any training opportunities for applicants based in Adelaide metro and metro-fringe locations. We are hoping to have courses available from 2024 onwards. Adelaide metro residents are encouraged to apply; however, priority will be given to people who live in country towns where our volunteer stations are located.

Check out our interactive map.

Not necessarily. Being an operational volunteer does not automatically increase your chances of obtaining a paid role at SAAS. All paramedic applicants must meet the criteria to be offered a job, regardless of whether they have volunteered with us. Check out I Work for SA for more information.

Yes, you can! If you meet the eligibility checklist and any other requirements of being a SAAS volunteer, there is nothing to stop you from doing both.

If your brigade need you at the same time you are on shift with SAAS, you’ll need to remain available or arrange for someone to cover your ambulance shift.

Check out Is this you? to see if volunteering with us can fit into your life.

It very much depends on the classification of your visa. Please call the Department of Home Affairs on 131 881 or visit the Department of Home Affairs website.

Due to our Registered Training Organisation (RTO 0264) accreditation requirements, we cannot accept applications from holders with an international student visa.

Not at all. SAAS will pay for your training to become an Ambulance Assist (Certificate II in Medical Service and First Response), Ambulance Responder and Ambulance Officer (Certificate IV in Health Care), and we will support you through all the stages. The nationally accredited training courses give you the skills and confidence to take control in an emergency and save the lives of others. Please note that training and the associated qualifications are only available to those who have signed up as a volunteer.

If you would like to join us as an operational volunteer, you must be over 17 years old and hold a driver’s licence that allows you to drive in South Australia. If you are on a provisional licence, you may be able to commence your training with us but will need to obtain a full driver’s licence before becoming a qualified volunteer. If you do not have a driver’s licence or have a learner’s permit there may be support roles available at your local station. Email SAASVolunteer@sa.gov.au with your name, phone number and address to find out more.

Yes, some volunteer teams have support  roles available at their station. These include roles such as administration, gardening, cleaning and stocking ambulances, information technology support to the team and assisting with recruitment and community engagement activities. To find out how you can help out your local volunteer team please email SAASVolunteer@sa.gov.au with your name, phone number and address, and we’ll find out what is available in your area.

No. The training is not offered externally and is only for people who are active volunteers for SAAS.

Yes, you can apply. You do not need any medical experience or training to become an operational volunteer. We provide all the necessary training once you have passed the application process. We also provide lots of support, so you feel confident with your skills.

If you would like to join us as an operational volunteer, you must be over 17 years old. There is no maximum age for our volunteers, so long as you are fit and healthy, and able to meet our medical requirements.

Yes, if you have time. Many of our volunteers have full-time employment in another field.

For support volunteer roles we would be happy to work around your availability.

To become an operational volunteer, you will need to do the training and be on the roster. Operational training is generally conducted on weekends or evenings to fit in with people who work during the daytime. You may also want to talk to your employer about supporting you and the local community by allowing you to respond to ambulance cases from work. See this factsheet about how this works and how it can benefit a business.

The minimum requirement for operational volunteers is to first attain your Ambulance Assist authority to practice by completing HLT21015 Certificate II in Medical Service First Response (150 hours of self-paced learning and assessment in addition to 250 hours of work placement in a supervised environment over 3 to 12 months).

Once you have successfully achieved this certification you will be required to commit to 30 hours per month on roster, plus on station training attendance. This is to ensure you remain up to date with the knowledge needed to care for patients. Depending on the station, training may be weekly or fortnightly, and some is available online. When training to achieve additional qualifications, you will be required to do extra study.

Yes. We recognise that our volunteers may have experience and/or qualifications that relate to our courses. SAAS is a Registered Training Organisation (RTO 0264) and you can apply for RPL prior to you commencing your training.

However, even if you obtain RPL, you will still need to do some training that is specific to SAAS. This may involve training to use our equipment to ensure you use it safely.

You can apply to become a volunteer at any time. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer recruit, training courses are scheduled approximately every 10-12 weeks.

Depending on the station, regular training for accredited operational volunteers may be weekly or fortnightly, and some is available online.

Our nationally accredited certifications are delivered through a blended mode of delivery including online self-directed learning, webinars and face-to-face sessions to practice skills and conduct assessments.

Possibly. A person with a medical condition can apply to become an operational volunteer, but it will be up to your medical practitioner and our occupational physician to decide if you are fit for operational ambulance duties.

For safety reasons, we ensure all applicants meet the same medical standards required to hold a commercial driver’s licence. People with certain medical conditions, such as epilepsy or diabetes, may not meet this standard, and cannot become an operational volunteer.

However, there may be support volunteering roles that might interest you. Find out more here.

Please note that operational volunteers are required to achieve and maintain their immunity against certain vaccine preventable diseases. If you would like to become a volunteer ambulance officer recruit, you must provide confirmation of immune status during the application process. We will cover the costs associated with this.

There is no definitive rule for this. Generally, volunteers work or live reasonably close to the station, so they can respond quickly in an emergency. However, there are other options available, such as being at the station for your shifts. You would be expected to be able to attend training at your specified station, so this would need to be considered in deciding what station you volunteer at. The local team leader can discuss this further with you, should you decide to volunteer with us.

The option for health care professionals joining as a volunteer is a process called Non Standard Entry, which we can discuss with you when you apply. You will still need to complete the Ambulance Assist course, which provides the induction needed to become a volunteer at SAAS.