Pre-Hospital Emergency Care

IPSQA is revolutionising pre-hospital emergency care certification on a global scale.

Unlock international recognition and demonstrate proven expertise with IPSQA’s PreHospital Emergency Care certifications for Responders (PHECR®) and Technicians (PHECT®). These ISO 17024:2012 compliant certifications are specifically designed for candidates seeking validation of realworld capabilities—not just knowledge—through rigorous, multistage assessment available worldwide.

Why the IPSQA PHEC Certifications Matter

The IPSQA PHEC certifications bridge the gap between theoretical training and genuine clinical competence, ensuring candidates uphold international best practices in emergency care independent of their training background. Unlike traditional exams, IPSQA integrates verified clinical experience and stringent portfolio review, meaning candidates must provide tangible evidence of their skills and compliance with local medical guidelines. This approach creates safer communities and raises the standard for public safety professionals globally.

MedPass™ removes barriers posed by varying pharmacology scopes of practice, offering verified supplemental assessment for medication administration—endorsed by industry leaders as a “gamechanger” in universal qualifications. Whether for direct entry or continuing professional development, these certifications are recognised for their robust methodology, transparency, and global portability, paving the way for further IPSQA qualifications and career advancement.

Syllabus & Content Highlights

  1. Globally available ISO 17024:2012 accredited certification system (PHECR® and PHECT®).
  2. Two levels: Responder (PHECR®) and Technician (PHECT®), each requiring theory, skills, and portfolio assessment.
  3. No proprietary training required; recognition given to diverse prehospital training backgrounds.
  4. Independent (impartial) assessment by expert assessors.
  5. Aligned to World Health Organization PHEC guideline (2.6.3)
  6. Exceeds DEFRA Flood Rescue Concept of Operations (Annex F) Advanced First Aider requirements.
  7. Portfolio (Part C) requirements assessed by assessor located in a different country to the candidate under our Foreign Interference Protection
  8. Verification of real-world clinical experience as a requirement.
  9. Portfolio collation documenting logged experience and compliance with medical direction.
  10. Optional supplementary MedPass® modules verify candidate’s proficiency in specific medication/administration routes.
  11. Awards feature QR verifiable documents for instant authenticity checks.
  12. Available under our National Security Protocol
  13. Pathways to higher education IPSQA qualifications (Diploma/Graduate Certificate in Public Safety).

Target Candidates

  • Qualified public safety professionals (fire, rescue, police) seeking international PHEC verification.
  • Emergency responders and technicians wanting formal recognition and career advancement.
  • Agencies needing globally accepted standards for staff credentialing.
  • Candidates transitioning from NREMT or other recognised emergency care standards.
  • Practitioners aiming to expand medication administration privileges via MedPass®.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Accredited Testing Centres for these certification products must operate under medical direction to ensure local laws and protocols are complied with. Certifications issued are to provide eivdence of competency and any application of pharmalogical application must be done under the candidate’s own medical direction (usually provided by the employer).

No. At this stage IPSQA is focusing on sub-paramedic certification aligned to World Health Organization (WHO) PHEC Guidelines for Basic Prehospital Provider (BPP).

Real-world experience is a core part of IPSQA’s PHEC series. Candidates can still complete Parts A and B, and recieve formal documentation to verify such achievement. However, if the candidate is not likely to work actively in the PHEC sector, then they should consider doing CorePass First Aid

At this stage only NREMT examinations are eligble for pre-aproved Recognition of Prior Learning. Candidates can apply for RPL at www.ipsqa.com/rpl

CorePass® First Aid III is an advanced first aid certification, however all CorePass® First Aid certifications (Basic to Advanced) do not conform to ISO17024:2012 as the assessor may also be the candidate’s instructor.

CorePass® First Aid series also does not require pre-requisite training hours and verified real-world pre-hospital emergency care experience.

However, it is used as a pre-requisite to ensure a number of clinical skills ranging from existaxis to diving related decompression illnesses are covered. 

Compare the two product series using the table below. 

CorePass® First Aid IIIPHECR®PHECT®MedPass®
Quality StandardInternal (IPSQA)ISO17024:2012ISO17024:2012Internal (IPSQA)
PrerequisitesOpen48 hours EMR training150 hours EMT trainingPHECR or higher
Theory AssessmentYesYes (Proctored)Yes (Proctored)Yes
Practical AssessmentYesYesYesYes
Clinical Experience NoYesYesNo
Independent AssessorNot requiredYesYesNot required
QR Verification YesYesYesYes
Global TranscriptYesYesYesYes
WHO PHEC LevelMeets CFARExceeds CFARBasic PPN/A

Recertification is required every three years as per the respective certification standard. Agencies may also opt into using our Orange Card system to integrate annual skills checks in between recertification. Such skills checks are recorded on the IPSQA Global Transcript too, making record keeping easy. Learn more about the Orange Card system at www.ipsqa.com/orange

IPSQA’s CPDPass is an easy way to record bespoke Continuing Professional Development (Continuing Education). Learn more here.

And agencies and providers can record their proprietary standardised courses on the IPSQA Global Transcript using our Blank Card System. Learn more here

The IPSQA PHEC series is focused on on sub-paramedic level (APP) certification and mapped to meet requirements set out in the World Health Organization (WHO) PHEC Guidelines.