Medical training
The bedrock of medical skills in the private sector: prehospital emergency care to the PHEM skills framework at level D.
- Level
- Level 3
- Awarding body
- Duration
- 5 days
- Price, inc. VAT
- £450(£375 + VAT)
- Next date
- 18 to 22 Jan 2027
About the course
First Response Emergency Care Level 3 (FREC3)
An immersive, hands-on course that fulfils the competencies set out in the PHEM skills framework at level D, providing the practical skills needed to deal with a range of prehospital emergency care situations. The June 2025 update can incorporate additional skills if clinical governance allows.
FREC3 is the bedrock of medical skill sets in the private sector, and a springboard to further courses such as FREC4.
Fully updated and relaunched in June 2025, with new content, streamlined assessments (fewer multiple-choice papers and less paperwork), more scenario-based assessments, and optional practical assessments of extended skills, subject to clinical governance authorisation.
Among the first to arrive at a scene, first responders typically include police officers, firefighters, emergency medical services and search and rescue personnel. For those with further ambitions, this qualification is also the first step towards a career in prehospital care.
- Qualification
- Qualsafe Level 3 First Response Emergency Care (FREC3)
- Group size
- 3 to 12 learners
- Location
- BPS HQ, Maidstone, Kent
ELCAS funding can be used for this course (Centre Number 14830).
Barham Protection Services Ltd is an ELCAS Approved Learning Provider. Centre Number 14830.
Barham Protection Services Ltd is a Blue Light Card partner.
Blue Light Card holders get 10% off any course: email training@bps-ltd.org with a picture of your Blue Light Card to receive your discount code.
*Blue Light Card discounts and ELCAS funding cannot be used together.
“The course was exceptionally well run and highly informative.”
What the course covers
Additional higher level skills can be taught with proof of the appropriate requirement and clinical governance.
- The role and responsibilities of a first responder
- Structured patient assessment
- Management of trauma patients
- Major illnesses
- Life-threatening bleeding control
- Airway management
- Administration of emergency oxygen
Who it is for
A regulated and nationally recognised qualification, ideal for those looking to work or volunteer as a first responder.
- Those providing event medical cover
- Door supervisors, close protection operatives and security guards
- People working in high-risk environments, including the military, power stations, offshore renewable energy, agriculture and manufacturing
- Anyone taking the first step towards a career in prehospital care
Entry requirements
- At least 18 years old on the first day of the training.
Standards it meets
- Learning outcomes based on the recommendations of the Resuscitation Council (UK), the Assessment Principles for Regulated First Aid Qualifications, and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh Faculty of Pre-Hospital Care (FPHC).
- Meets the staffing requirements in the Purple Guide for Health, Safety and Welfare at Outdoor Events, and is the only RCS Ed FPHC endorsed qualification listed in the Purple Guide at PHEM D.
- Adheres to the standards agreed by the First Aid Awarding Organisation Forum (FAAOF) and the Health and Safety Executive for first aid qualifications.
Why train with BPS
- Experienced instructors: NHS Trust clinicians, former police TEAMS medics and military CMT1 medics.
- The latest medical training equipment.
- Realistic final scenarios, with live actors and special effects.
- Courses for 3 to 12 learners, at our Maidstone training room or at your workplace.
Certification
This qualification is not a licence to practise. Any interventions you perform in your role must be in line with your own or your organisation's scope of practice and agreed ways of working.
- Successful learners receive a personalised Qualsafe e-certificate.
- Optional practical assessments of extended skills are subject to clinical governance authorisation, and are stated clearly on the certificate when completed.
Location and accommodation
- Our training room in Maidstone, Kent, with ample free parking and rail links through Maidstone West and Maidstone East stations.
- A Premier Inn and a Travelodge are both within a minute's walk of the centre. Accommodation is booked at your own expense.
- We can run the course at your venue: email training@bps-ltd.org to discuss the options.
In pictures
In training
Every picture is a training scenario. Press a picture to see it in full.
Where it runs
Venue
- BPS HQ, MaidstoneUnit 10, The Old Brewery, Buckland Road, Maidstone, ME16 0DZA short walk from Maidstone West station, with free parking on site.
Medical training
Our medical courses side by side
- First Response Emergency Care (FREC3)This courseQualsafe Level 3 · 5 days · 3 to 12 learners · £450 inc. VAT (£375 + VAT)
- First Response Emergency Care (FREC4)Qualsafe Level 4 · 5 days · 3 to 12 learners · £660 inc. VAT (£550 + VAT)
- Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)Qualsafe Level 3 · 1 day · 4 to 12 learners
- First Aid at Work (FAW)Qualsafe Level 3 · 3 days · 4 to 12 learners
- Paediatric First Aid (PFA)Highfield Level 3 · 2 days
Google reviews
In our delegates' words
“I recently completed a FREC3 (First Response Emergency Care) course over five days, which included both theory and practical training, as well as assessments. The course was exceptionally well run and highly informative. I would strongly recommend BPS to anyone considering their training programmes, and I hope to have the opportunity to take further courses with them in the future.”
Questions
Questions about FREC3
Anything else, call 0330 043 8443 or read the booking terms.
Who is FREC3 for?
Those providing event medical cover; door supervisors, close protection operatives and security guards; people working in high-risk environments such as the military, power stations, offshore renewable energy, agriculture and manufacturing; and anyone taking the first step towards a career in prehospital care.
How long is the course, and how many learners are there?
Five days, for groups of 3 to 12 learners. You must be at least 18 years old on the first day of the training.
What qualification do I get?
The Qualsafe Level 3 First Response Emergency Care (FREC3) qualification, as a personalised Qualsafe e-certificate. It is regulated and nationally recognised. It is not a licence to practise: any interventions you perform must be in line with your own or your organisation's scope of practice.
Does FREC3 meet the Purple Guide for event medical cover?
Yes. It meets the staffing requirements in the Purple Guide for Health, Safety and Welfare at Outdoor Events, and fulfils the competencies of the PHEM skills framework at level D.
Is FREC3 the medical qualification for the close protection course?
Yes. Every close protection learner needs a Level 3 medical qualification to begin, and the close protection and FREC3 package starts with this course. FREC3 is also the step before FREC4.
Who teaches the course?
Experienced clinicians: NHS Trust clinicians, former police TEAMS medics and military CMT1 medics, using the latest medical training equipment, with realistic final scenarios using live actors and special effects.
Where is the course held, and is there parking?
At our training room in Maidstone, Kent, with ample free parking and rail links through Maidstone West and Maidstone East stations. A Premier Inn and a Travelodge are both within a minute's walk; accommodation is at your own expense. We can also run the course at your venue: email training@bps-ltd.org to discuss the options.
Can I use ELCAS funding for this course?
Yes. Barham Protection Services Ltd is an ELCAS Approved Learning Provider, Centre Number 14830. ELCAS can be used on our ELCAS approved courses. Blue Light Card discounts and ELCAS funding cannot be used together.
Is there a Blue Light Card discount?
Blue Light Card holders get 10% off any course: email training@bps-ltd.org with a picture of your Blue Light Card to receive your discount code.
Related courses
- Level 4First Response Emergency Care (FREC4)Next: 9 to 13 November 2026
- Level 3Emergency First Aid at Work (EFAW)
- Level 3First Aid at Work (FAW)
- Level 3Paediatric First Aid (PFA)
Related services
Where we train
Operations & training teams
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