Gain the skills and confidence to act when every second counts
Every day, people across Devon experience life-threatening emergencies. In those crucial first moments, the actions of those nearby can make all the difference.
Ready to Respond is Devon Air Ambulance’s community education programme, bringing together our training and prevention initiatives to help create a county where everyone is ready to respond.
Early intervention saves lives. Whether recognising cardiac arrest, starting CPR, using a public access defibrillator or responding to another medical emergency, ordinary people can make an extraordinary difference.
Through Ready to Respond, we support individuals, workplaces and community groups with practical training that builds the confidence to act when it matters most.
As the programme grows, we’ll continue developing initiatives that meet the needs of communities across Devon. There are two ways to get involved:
Community training
Our free and community-focused training helps people develop the confidence to recognise an emergency and take action.
Whether you’re attending one of our community sessions, representing a local group or learning alongside friends and family, our aim is simple: to give more people the skills to help save a life.
Current programmes includes:
- CPR & Defibrillator Awareness Training
As our Ready to Respond programme develops, we’ll continue expanding our community education, with future initiatives and other lifesaving programmes.
Accredited workplace training
Coming soon (in 2027) we will offer nationally recognised, accredited professional first aid training for individuals, workplaces and organisations across Devon.
Delivered by experienced instructors, our accredited courses help workplaces meet their legal responsibilities while equipping staff with essential lifesaving skills. Courses include:
- Emergency First Aid at Work (1 Day)
- First Aid at Work (3 Day)
As our programme grows, we’ll continue expanding our accredited training offer to support even more organisations across the county.
Free life-saving training in your community
Accredited first aid training for your team
Devon Air Ambulance is trusted to deliver critical care when every second counts. Our teams respond to complex, time-critical emergencies across Devon and beyond, bringing specialist expertise and experience to patients when they need it most.
That real-world experience also shapes our approach to training.
Our training is developed with the knowledge and expertise of Devon Air Ambulance’s clinical teams, ensuring that what we teach is relevant, practical and grounded in real emergency care. While our courses may be delivered by members of our trained education and community teams, the content and approach are informed by the standards and experience of the organisation’s clinical experts.
By choosing Devon Air Ambulance training, you benefit from:
Trusted expertise – training backed by the knowledge and experience of a leading pre-hospital emergency care charity.
Practical learning – a focus on the skills and actions that can make a difference in a real emergency.
Real-world relevance – training informed by the types of emergencies our teams encounter every day.
Confidence to act – helping people develop the knowledge, skills and confidence to respond when it matters most.
Our aim is simple: to give people the knowledge and confidence to respond when it matters.
Early intervention saves lives. In many emergency situations, the actions taken in the first few minutes can significantly affect outcomes for patients. However, not everyone who may be first on scene has access to regular, specialist training in delivering urgent care outside of a hospital setting.
Our training programme exists to help bridge that gap.
We provide accessible, high-quality training for those who may be first to respond, in your local community or workplace. Our goal is to share knowledge and skills that can make a meaningful difference in those critical moments before advanced help arrives.
Through this training, we aim to:
- Improve patient outcomes by supporting effective early care
- Increase confidence in managing emergency situations
- Strengthen the network of skilled responders across Devon
As a charity, our purpose is to save lives. Training is an extension of that mission by enabling more people to respond with confidence, competence and care when it matters most.
