FAQs

Yes. That's why the emergency services have supported the creation and development of DFA. They are the real professionals and they have been extremely enthusiastic in helping to create an organised group of properly trained drivers capable of providing an early life saving response prior to the arrival of the emergency services.

The simple answer is YES. The teaching materials are extremely focused and have been produced by the professionals in this field; senior doctors and consultants that provide clinical advice and support to the ambulance Service. The preeminent Faculty of Pre - Hospital Care of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, also supports DFA.

DFA members act at all times in a voluntary capacity and would commonly be referred to as Good Samaritans. In such circumstances there is little or no basis for a claim in civil litigation. To date, no one has been successfully sued for providing assistance whilst acting in the capacity of a Good Samaritan.

The best legal advice made available to DFA would suggest little chance of a claim succeeding. However, in the unlikely event of a claim against a DFA member, DFA would provide the member with the appropriate legal resources to defend such a claim.

Click on the video to hear what a real expert in this field has to say.

The decision to 'step in' and help will be difficult at times for all kinds of reasons. That's why DFA members act in a voluntary capacity at all times. In the more serious RTCs the road is likely to be blocked anyway. In such circumstances, a DFA member, using his or her skills and knowledge, may well provide the vital assistance to enable the emergency services deal with the situation more effectively and get the road open again quicker than might otherwise have been the case.

No. You will never be asked or expected to provide assistance in any circumstances. Not even Community First Responders, who work with the Ambulance Service, are deployed to RTCs. Our aim is to ensure as many drivers as possible are trained as DFA members so that only those finding themselves first or early at the scene would volunteer to assist.

No.  As a DFA member you will be trained how to handover to the emergency services on their arrival. Not only may you have just saved someone's life but you will also be capable of providing vital information, enabling the police to reopen the road faster than might otherwise have been the case. Even if you actually witnessed the incident you would be under no obligation to provide a statement at the scene. Having helped get the road open quicker you would be entitled to continue with your journey along with everyone else.

Not only have the training materials been developed and produced by the experts, the training is delivered by the experts too. Only currently serving or retired emergency services personnel with appropriate operational experience are registered to deliver the DFA training programme. This is a fundamental requirement to maintain the continuing relationship between DFA and the emergency services.

Yes, every three years. Emergency services and clinical professionals will continually update the training materials. This means that the training received by DFA members will always be 'cutting edge'; the training received by emergency services personnel themselves.

No, that would be a massive and unnecessary undertaking. Not all drivers will be suited to becoming DFA members either. The road network is officially recognised by the Health & Safety Executive as the most dangerous workplace in the UK. Our aim is to provide "workplace first aid" for the road network and ensure 'mobile' workers have at least the same access to an emergency medical response as do their 'non mobile' counterparts. If every company/depot trains at least one DFA member, we will be well on the way to achieving our overall objective - saving lives on our roads.