Ko wai mātou - About us:

Hato Hone St John has been serving New Zealanders since 1885. Today, our 11,000-strong team of kaimahi and volunteers work across Aotearoa to enhance the health and wellbeing of our communities. From responding to 111 calls to supporting people to stay healthy through our mahi in health education, access, and monitoring, we are making life-changing differences every day. 

He aha te tūranga - About the role:  

Volunteering with our First Response Units (FRU) is a big commitment that provides huge rewards. By working within the wider communities around Hicks Bay, your role is varied, but the focus is always on providing quality care to patients.

The First Response Unit will operate in time-critical emergency incidents (i.e. a cardiac arrest) when a full-time ambulance is not immediately available. The FRU volunteers will be supplied with pagers and can choose whether or not they can respond, there is no roster or obligation. Volunteer crews will meet at the Station, take the FRU to the scene to and provide the critical patient care until further assistance arrives. 

Support you can expect after joining our team

We will give you all the support and education needed to make you safe and effective in the field. This includes:

• A two day Operations Induction course.
• A two day Operations Risk Management course - designed to help you stay safe in the field
• A two day Ambulance Driving course
• A four day First Responder course which is designed to enable you to assess patients and manage immediately life threatening emergencies in the community. 

At the completion of the courses you will be issued with a Level 3 New Zealand Certificate in Emergency Care (First Responder) and will hold the clinical practice level of First Responder.

Ko wai koe - About you:

Before you apply; you will need the following:

• A full and clean NZ driver's licence for at least 12 months or have completed an approved NZTA advanced driving course (if full licence held for less than 12 months) 
• To be 18 years of age or over 
• A New Zealand citizenship or permanent resident status 
• A Clean Police record 
• To be able pass the assessment requirements (physical / literacy / numeracy test & interview) 
• Have flexibility for responding
• Ideally be living within a short drive from the Station

Me pēhea te tuku tono - How to apply

Click “I’m interested” before applications close on Sunday 1 March 2026

For further information please contact Tanya Jeffery, Recruitment Advisor on [email protected] or 09 526 0528 ext: 8793 for a confidential discussion.

Please note: all appointments are subject to satisfactory completion of pre-employment checks including, but not limited to, physical assessment and health check. For clinical operations roles where you are required to drive, you will be required to meet St John medical standards.

At Hato Hone St John, we embrace diversity, welcoming everyone to bring their authentic selves to work. We value unique perspectives, fostering inclusivity to better serve our communities, and we’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone belongs.

E pōhiritia nei e mātou, te whānau o Hato Hone St John, ngā rereketanga o ia tāngata ki te haramai. E āwhinatia e mātou i ngā whakaaro rereke, kia mahi pai i roto i ngā hāpori katoa. Ko ta mātou nei haepapa, kia hangaia tātahi āhuru mōwai mā tātou, kia mahi haumaru ai.

If you need accommodations for accessibility, please reach out to the recruiter listed for equitable participation in our recruitment process.

Research shows that women and people from under-represented groups are less likely to apply for roles when their experience doesn’t match the job description perfectly. If you’re excited and think you have what it takes, we want to hear from you! Even if your experience doesn’t align 100%. Please apply or contact the recruitment advisor listed on the advertisement for a kōrero.