You’ve certainly had a bad day on the Kenyan roads, stuck in traffic then suddenly you hear of a siren, an alarm that indicates other drivers to give way for an ambulance.
The ambulance driver smoothly elbows his way through the traffic as the four wheeler machine fitted with flashing lights speeds off.
Many fancy the idea of being emergency vehicle operators and being able to save lives. This article will cover on admission requirements for ambulance drivers, duties and requirements and salaries for ambulance drivers in Kenya.
Admission requirements and fees
In Kenya, there are several schools offering emergency vehicle operator training. Among them is St. Johns Ambulance and The Kenya Red Cross.
For you to be admitted into an ambulance training course at St Johns Ambulance, you will need a valid driving license and a first aid certificate. The course takes only 5 days at a cost of ksh 15K. For further inquiry, you can email the institution through info@stjohnkenya.org or visit their main office situated in Nairobi off Parliament Road.
At the Kenya Red Cross, there is an ongoing enrolment for this course with training to be held between 25th October, 2021 and 5th November, 2021. You will still need a driving license and a first aid certificate. According to Kenya Red Cross, emergency vehicle operator trainees will pay ksh 35k.
For a person without a first aid certificate, you will first have to take a course in it. At St Johns Ambulance, you will pay ksh 5500 and should be done within a number of days. It is advisable that your driving license should be of class BCE.
Salary of Ambulance Drivers
In a past job advertisement by the Nairobi County Government, the following was the salary breakdown:-
- Basic salary ksh 17570
- House allowance ksh 4500
- Commuter allowance ksh 3000
- Extraneous allowance ksh 7000
- Gross salary ksh 32 070
Duties and Responsibilities
Drivers are expected to carry out the following undertakings:-
- Assist in loading and offloading of patients.
- Maintenance of the ambulance and its equipment cleanliness in readiness for an unexpected assignment.
- Using of a checklist in carrying out routine ambulance maintenance and accurately keeping the mileage readings to ensure routine servicing.
- Refilling of oxygen cylinders
- Detecting and timely reporting on any mechanical hitches on the ambulance.
- Some employers require ambulance drivers to be skilled in defensive driving. Defensive driving basically entails being skilled in reducing the risks for collisions that may be caused by other irresponsible drivers. It also equips the driver with skills in driving during adverse weather conditions.
