If you’re new to pre-hospital care or ambulance training, the number of acronyms can feel confusing — FAW, FPOSi, FREC, FROS, IREC and EMT all describe different levels of first aid or emergency response qualifications, each designed for a specific role and level of responsibility.
FAW (First Aid at Work) is the basic workplace standard for legal compliance, while FPOSi and FROS sit slightly higher as entry-level responder courses often used by volunteers and event medics. The modern industry benchmark is FREC (First Response Emergency Care), a regulated pathway delivered by awarding bodies such as Qualsafe Awards, progressing from FREC 3 through to FREC 4 for those working in events, security, and private ambulance roles.
For learners moving toward frontline ambulance work, IREC (Intermediate Response Emergency Care) and EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) provide a more advanced clinical scope, with qualifications commonly regulated through organisations like FutureQuals, bridging the gap between first responder and full ambulance clinician. In simple terms, these awards form a step-by-step ladder — from basic first aid through to professional emergency medical practice — allowing learners to choose the level that matches their career goals.
So what is the difference between FREC and IREC?
Core Principles & Governance
| Subject Area | FREC 3 | IREC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Role & responsibilities | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Scope of practice | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Consent & capacity | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Information governance | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Safeguarding | ⚠️ Implied within governance | ✅ Explicit |
| Responder wellbeing & resilience | ✅ Yes | ✅ Explicit |
Patient Assessment
| Subject Area | FREC 3 | IREC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Scene assessment & dynamic risk assessment | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Primary & secondary surveys | ✅ Yes (DR<C>ABCDE) | ✅ Yes (DR<C>ABCDE) |
| Triage tools | ✅ Yes (incl. TST) | ✅ Yes (incl. TST) |
| Anatomy & physiology exam | ✅ Stand-alone A&P exam | ✅ Integrated within components |
| Physiological observations | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Patient extrication | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Explicit (time-critical & non-time-critical) |
Life-Threatening Emergencies
| Subject Area | FREC 3 | IREC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, child & infant CPR | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| AED use | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Bag-valve-mask & oxygen | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Airway adjuncts (OPA/NPA) | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Choking management | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Catastrophic bleeding & shock | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Medical Emergencies
| Subject Area | FREC 3 | IREC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Asthma | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Anaphylaxis & auto-injectors | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Diabetic emergencies | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Cardiac conditions | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Neurological emergencies | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Poisoning & intoxication | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Mental health emergencies | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Temperature-related illness | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
Trauma & Injuries
| Subject Area | FREC 3 | IREC 3 |
|---|---|---|
| Wounds & bleeding | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Burns & scalds | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Musculoskeletal injuries | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Head, spinal, chest trauma | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Explicit |
| Major trauma management | ⚠️ Limited | ✅ Explicit |