Ambulance profession
Accessible without a diploma, the profession of ambulance driver is one of the most chosen professions in terms of professional retraining. Find out more about it: mission, training, salary, job opportunities.

What is an ambulance driver?
A profession that is not experiencing the crisis, nearly 2,000 people are trained each year in the profession of ambulance driver. The latter can work in a public, associative or private structure, day or night and may be required to work on weekends and public holidays. Be careful not to confuse him with the stretcher-bearer.

Responsible for taking people in need of care (injured, disabled, sick, elderly, etc.) to a medical center: hospital, clinic, medical center, etc. The paramedic must also be able to provide first aid.

The ambulance driver is responsible for taking care of the patient from the home, the scene of the accident or the care centre to the vehicle. During the journey, he ensures the patient's comfort and is ready to give first aid. Throughout the journey, he remains in contact with the staff of the medical facility.

In addition to driving, he or she must ensure that the various administrative documents (hospitals, Social Security, etc.) are kept, collect receipts and have a good knowledge of the main routes to be taken.

If he has a C or D licence, he may be called upon to drive van-type vehicles in addition to a VSL (light medical vehicle) In a vehicle, the ambulance driver is always accompanied by another person, often an ambulance auxiliary.

Finally, the ambulance driver is responsible for the maintenance of his vehicle, strict compliance with hygiene rules and the sterilization of the equipment.

Missions of the paramedic
Transporting injured or sick people to the hospital;
To ensure their comfort and state of health;
Master medical assistance devices;
Know how to drive quickly but surely;
Provide the first steps of safety if necessary;
Maintain your vehicle;
Fill in administrative documents.
What training is required to become an ambulance driver?
To become an ambulance driver, it is mandatory to follow a diploma course in order to acquire the essential knowledge. Several solutions are available to you, accessible both in the context of initial training and in continuing education, allowing you to easily retrain as a paramedic.

Initial training
DEA: State Diploma of Ambulance Driver To become an ambulance driver in France, it is imperative to have the DEA (State Diploma of Ambulance Driver) which is acquired following the validation of a training course of about 2 to 4 months. During this period, 8 teaching modules are followed, including emergency gestures and care, hygiene, and safety in medical transport.

This paid training is accessible with a 3rd level and is provided by private or public centers approved by the State.

However, you must have a B driving licence for at least three years, an up-to-date medical certificate of vaccination, as well as a prefectural certificate of fitness to drive an ambulance.

Access to this training is through written tests (French and arithmetic) and then through an oral admission.

AA Training: Ambulance Auxiliary
To become an ambulance auxiliary, you simply have to follow a 10-day training course (70 hours) offered by the IFAs (Ambulance Training Institutes). This training covers hygiene, ethics, the rules of medical transport and emergency gestures and care (AFGSU level 2).

The number of places is limited, it is necessary to have held a B license for 3 years and to have the prefectural authorization to drive an ambulance to access the training.

The training courses for state-certified ambulance drivers and ambulance assistants are not free, but you can obtain funding.

Formation continue
As part of a professional development or reorientation, it is possible to become an ambulance driver through continuing education by preparing for the state diploma of ambulance driver.

Professionals in activity can also evolve thanks to these training courses by choosing, for example, to take care of a certain type of public (pediatric, psychiatric). They can also follow additional training to join a mobile emergency and resuscitation service (SMUR).

Finally, ambulance drivers who wish to reorient themselves towards the profession of nursing assistant are exempted from the entrance exam to the training as well as from certain teaching units.

Qualifications to become a paramedic
Practicing the profession of ambulance driver requires many qualities. First of all, you must be a good driver to know how to adapt to the state of health of the person you are transporting (smooth and slow driving or emergency driving with the use of flashing lights).

A profession that is practiced in an emergency, he must know how to show composure, responsiveness and vigilance while knowing how to reassure and comfort patients.

Finally, with a sustained pace of work, good physical and mental resistance is essential.

Salary of a paramedic
The salary of a beginner ambulance driver is close to the minimum wage and reaches €2,000 gross over the years. However, this amount can vary greatly depending on the company.

On his own, an ambulance driver can expect a higher salary but will have to subsidize a vehicle that complies with the requirements of the profession.

Where to work as a paramedic?
This health professional can work in both the private and public sectors, whether in hospitals, clinics or retirement homes.

The profession of ambulance driver can evolve towards the management of a team, the organization of action plans in the field for large-scale operations or the regulation of a care structure. His role is no longer the same since he manages the travel of a team, establishes everyone's schedules and takes care of calls and requests for intervention.

The profession of ambulance driver can also evolve into other branches through short training courses to become a stretcher-bearer or nursing assistant for example.