CHS runs a 24/7 response network that provides our community with an immediate medical response during a medical incident or emergency and can also provide telephone medical advice. As a CHS responder you will join this network of first responders who are trained, equipped, and called upon to help community members. The goal of this network is to ensure the right care and advice for the right person, and to do so in a timely manner. This can provide the benefit of escalating or de-escalating an ambulance response, to have a positive impact on NSW Health system resourcing.

A CHS responder provides medical support as part of a 24/7 first responder network in and around the community, as well as at community events.
The aim of a CHS responder is to be able to provide an on-scene assessment and manage a medical emergency appropriately, according to our clinical guidelines.
CHS responders work closely with other key community organisations and members to ensure the safety of the community.

CHS responders come from varied backgrounds, medical and non-medical, and consist of women and men of all ages. CHS trains you to have the fundamental knowledge and skill set for out-of-hospital first responding. Above anything else, we want motivated, interested, respectful, and humble volunteers, whom we can teach clinical skills and build appropriate confidence and awareness.

Yes. We do not send new first responders to calls alone – with appropriate exceptions based on very specific circumstances. Following recruitment there is a structured and rigorous period of supervision while you learn to be competent and comfortable attending calls. We train you to be operational such that the rest of your first responder development can occur through real world experience, supervision, and mentorship. No one can be great at tasks they have never done before.

CHS responders attend calls from people in the local community and consequently interact with people of different ages and backgrounds. This is symbolically about helping the patients and their families. There is a reasonable possibility that sometimes you will come across people you know, and with this possibility comes a responsibility to keep this interaction private and confidential. Undertaking patient assessments, working in a team and communicating with Dispatchers and NSW Ambulance Paramedics make up the foundations of the routine calls. Responders provide interventions and medications as required in emergencies or other appropriate contexts. Out-of-hospital emergencies occur at random frequencies, but it is very likely you will at times find yourself in challenging situations– both emotionally and time pressured. Some volunteers may find themselves present for the final moments of a person’s life.

To become a CHS First Responder, you will need to complete our recruitment training program. This program may be different for doctors, registered nurses and registered paramedics who have appropriate experience (see below). Our training program covers important out-of-hospital care and life support skills, emergency response techniques, and other related topics. Again, no prior medical experience is necessary.
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Requirements to be operational:
1. Complete CHS Recruitment Training
2. Have a valid Driver’s licence and a motor vehicle to attend calls
3. Have a valid working with children check (WWCC)

Based on your level of experience, the rate at which you progress through the recruitment will be shorter. We have an expedited pathway for those who have a higher level of requisite knowledge and competency. Further to this, once you are operational, health care providers of advanced or specialist clinical experience will be utilised accordingly. A responder’s scope of practice is based on their professional registration and their skills, medications, and interventions that have been approved for them to perform by the CHS Clinical Advisory Committee.

The CHS volunteer response network is operational 24/7, and practically is divided into shifts throughout the day. Several factors determine whether a call is escalated to a response, including the location of the caller, our responders, and our coverage area. Most volunteers are rostered on to on-call shifts on weeknights and weekends — please see the relevant sections below. Please note that whilst most volunteers provide their time outside of work hours, CHS has both capacity and need for weekday volunteer responders.

CHS currently operates:
Eastern Suburbs: From Watsons Bay to Queens Park to Darling Point with a responder base able to provide 24/7 coverage. Whilst we do not have a responder base to cover the rest of the Eastern or South Eastern Suburbs (e.g. Clovelly/Randwick to Malabar/La Perouse) we will try and get a responder to a call if any are available.
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North Shore: Rostered coverage for St Ives and its adjacent suburbs over the time period of Friday evening until Sunday, with responders dispatched when available for times outside of this period.

This current recruitment is targeting candidates based anywhere in the Eastern and South Eastern Suburbs of Sydney. We expect and aspire to grow our coverage areas over the coming year.

CHS has plans to grow responder numbers in South-East Sydney in order to expand coverage to this part of the community in the future. It will not happen overnight but the fundamental requirement for CHS to be able to do so is to build a strong network of trained CHS responders. We cannot provide a community service without members of the community who are trained and able to respond.

A. Recruitment Training – based on how the group develops we expect approximately 8 to 10 sessions over 2 months, with a mix of Sundays – full and half days – and Thursday nights.

B. Ongoing Training – mandatory 2.5hrs, once a month on a Wednesday night. Other education is provided and is optional.

C. CHS Shifts – you will be rostered shifts each month based on your availability, where you are “on call” and willing to be available to respond to calls in your coverage area. This may include shifts during business hours, after hours or overnight as you are available.

D. Ongoing assessment – this is just about observing and documenting that you can still do the things required to safely and competently provide care to patients. This includes yearly competency assessment and training relevant to advancement of skills and knowledge.

CHS aims to provide excellent care to those who call us.
We also aim to work practically and collaboratively with other organisations, like NSW Ambulance.
In order to do so, we have standards, and these reflect the responsibility we have to the community and to the individuals and families who call on us.
CHS’s internal training is about reflective and continual self-development, with an emphasis on relevant knowledge, practical skills, and reasoned decision-making to ensure a high standard of care and trust.

Volunteering as a CHS responder will provide you with a meaningful way to give back to the community by assisting community members in their times of medical need. In addition, you will develop out-of-hospital care skills, emergency responder capabilities and overall leadership qualities, whilst meeting like-minded people and fostering new and existing friendships.

You will develop your problem-solving skills and your ability to manage high stress situations. At times you will experience unique challenges and interactions and have a truly meaningful impact on the quality of the lives of members of the community.

Each candidate with a clinical healthcare background progresses and provides clinical skills within the bounds of their individual experiences, competency and within the scope set out by the governance of the CHS Clinical Advisory Committee. Out-of-hospital clinical and emergency care is less about what you know and more about what you can do (and what you are willing to do). If you join us with mastery or subject matter expertise you will contribute accordingly.

We recently kicked off a recruitment program in October 2024. Future program dates will be advised once confirmed.