FPOSi
{ First Person on Scene international }
First Person on Scene (International) — FPOSi
A Level 3 regulated pre-hospital care qualification for those who may be first on scene where medical support is limited or delayed. FPOSi develops the capability to assess, prioritise and treat casualties under pressure — including ballistic and blast injuries — through scenario-led training rather than classroom theory.
Beyond first aid — operational casualty care
FPOSi is not a standard first-aid course. It is an operational pre-hospital programme built for personnel working in high-risk, remote or unpredictable environments, where rapid decision-making directly affects outcomes. Learners are placed into controlled, realistic scenarios that progressively increase in complexity, building genuine competence and confidence in the management of serious incidents — including the longer-term care of a casualty at the scene when evacuation is delayed.
It sits above standard First Aid at Work and is one of the qualifications the SIA accepts as meeting the first-aid requirement for Close Protection licensing.
Awarded by QNUK (Qualifications Network UK), an awarding organisation regulated by Ofqual, the full title is the QNUK Level 3 Award for the First Person on Scene (International) (RQF). It is mapped to the Pre-Hospital Emergency Medicine (PHEM) skills framework at descriptor level C or above — a step beyond standard workplace first aid — and has been acknowledged by the First Aid Awarding Organisation Forum as a suitable workplace first-aid equivalent.
What you will learn
Every skill is taught hands-on and then reinforced through dynamic casualty simulations and scenario-driven exercises.
Scene & Risk
- Scene assessment and dynamic risk management
- Safe approach and incident management
- Decision-making under stress
Primary Survey
- Structured primary survey (DRCABCDE)
- Casualty prioritisation
- Recognising the time-critical patient
Catastrophic Bleeding
- Direct pressure, wound packing and haemostatics
- Manufactured and improvised tourniquets
- Awareness and management of ballistic and blast injuries
Airway & Breathing
- Airway management and adjuncts
- Respiratory support
- Chest injury recognition and management
Trauma & Medical
- Trauma assessment and treatment
- Fracture management and immobilisation
- Medical emergencies
Evacuation & Handover
- Manual handling of casualties
- Casualty evacuation
- Structured handover to the next echelon of care
On completion
- Assess and manage an incident scene under pressure
- Carry out a structured primary survey and prioritise care
- Control catastrophic bleeding, including ballistic and blast injuries
- Manage a casualty’s airway and support breathing
- Assess and treat trauma and medical emergencies
- Evacuate a casualty and deliver a structured handover
Entry requirements
QNUK requirement: learners must be at least 18 years old on the first day of training, have a sufficient command of English to understand the assessment, and be physically capable of undertaking practical casualty-care scenarios in a range of environments. No prior medical or operational experience is required.
Britannia Elite recommendation: because FPOSi builds on a first-aid foundation rather than teaching it from scratch, we recommend learners hold a current First Aid at Work (FAW) qualification before attending. This is recommended, not a QNUK entry condition.
Assessment
Continuous practical assessment throughout the course, reinforced by scenario-based exercises, with a final practical evaluation. Delivered face-to-face over 4–5 days, scenario-led. Successful learners are awarded the QNUK Level 3 Award for the First Person on Scene (International) (RQF).
Who it’s for
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