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Driver Training
Emergency Service Driver Training forms a very important aspect of the work undertaken by All Wales Ambulance Services. We ensure that all of our driving personnel are adequately trained to perform their driving duties safely with the minimum risk.
AWAS are able to offer a variety of courses to meet individual training requirements. This includes courses tailored to the needs of the fleet/corporate sectors as well as private individuals wishing to raise the standard of their driving. Throughout, the overriding factors are that of safety and the reduction of risk, with particular emphasis on the provision of the Highway code and adherence to road traffic law. This, coupled with the teaching by Roadcraft form a solid foundation for the level of training we offer.
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Emergency Service Driver Training
Current Health and Safety legislation requires employer to ensure that their employees are adequately trained to perform their duties in the workplace. A vehicle is now regarded as an extension of the workplace and therefore subject to the same legislation and guidelines.
Recent high profile incidents involving emergency service vehicles have revealed inadequate levels of training within the field both in the state and the private sectors. Arguing that an individual received driver training fifteen years ago holds no credibility if refresher training has not taken place during the interim.
The cost of driver training is burdensome for organisations and companies, but must be viewed as an essential component of the professionalism that you wish to portray to your clients.
At AWAS we believe that we have the optimum package for emergency service driver training. The courses, based on the police driving manual ‘Roadcraft’, are specifically tailored to the needs of ambulance services. The publication is regarded as the definitive text in relation to advanced driving techniques.
Our instructors are either serving or retired police officers. They must hold a class one advanced Police Driving and/or Police Instructor certificate. They have considerable empathy for their colleagues working in the emergency services and this is highlighted in their approach within the training environment. As an organisation we believe that the level of instruction delivered cannot be exceeded.
Obvious though it may seem, it is a firm believe of ours that if a person is to be trained as an ambulance driver, that they should be trained in an ambulance. Very often, people are actually trained in cars or people carriers, and as such the training does not reflect the significant differences in physical size, handling and accelerative capabilities encountered when driving Frontline Ambulances and Patient Transportation Vehicles. As a consequence our training vehicles are late registration Renault Master Frontline Ambulances supplemented if required by marked Volvo V70 Cross Country Estates. The recommended training ratio is two students to one instructor.
The package we offer includes the frontline ambulance, the instructor, a restaurant lunch and for each student a copy of Roadcraft. The cost is £395.00 per day exclusive of VAT. The training takes place at our centre in Cwmbran, Gwent. However, if clients prefer the training can be delivered at their own home base. If this is desired then there is a daily premium of £50.00 to cover additional fuel costs.
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