SCREENING
BRIGADE VOLUNTEERS
GENERAL
1. St. John Ambulance volunteers are often placed in positions of significant trust
with vulnerable people. The wide spectrum of volunteer positions not only vary in nature
but also in level of risk. St. John Ambulance has an obligation to provide safe,
well-managed services to the community.
POLICY
2. All St. John Ambulance Brigade volunteers have a responsibility to protect the
clients they serve and to uphold the reputation of St. John Ambulance.
3. St. John Ambulance will not tolerate any form of assault or abuse, or any other
offence that may raise concern in the minds of the staff, clients or other volunteers as
to issues of safety, well-being or security.
4. To be accepted as a St. John Ambulance Brigade volunteer, all applicants aged
18 years and up, and upon their first appointment to a leadership position, must be
screened according to the following procedures:
a. complete and sign an application form and authorization for police records check;
b. undergo interview process.
5. All St. John Ambulance Brigade volunteers must agree to undergo the screening
process at any time, specifically if their appointment changes to one that carries an
increase in responsibility or if the supervising officer feels there is just cause.
PROCEDURAL GUIDELINES
6. Comprehensive guidelines and sample forms and letters can be found in appendices
to Procedural Guidelines (Annex A), as indicated below. Note that they are guidelines only
and do not constitute policy:
a. Letter to accompany Volunteer Application Form (Appendix 1)
b. Volunteer Application Form (Appendix 2)
c. Authorization for Police Records Check (Appendix 3)
d. Volunteer Interview (Appendix 4)
e. Letter to accompany Reference Form (Appendix 5)
f. Volunteer Reference Form (Appendix 6)
g. Volunteer Screening Process Evaluation Form (Appendix 7)
h. Volunteer Performance Appraisal Form (Appendix 8)
i. Volunteer Exit Interview (Appendix 9)
j. Total Screening Process (Appendix 10)
k. Maintenance of Volunteer Records
SCREENING PRACTICES
7. In order to ensure consistency and professionalism in screening volunteers, the
following practices are recommended:
a. all volunteers of the St. John Ambulance Brigade undergo the same screening process;
b. hold orientation and training sessions at a predesignated location;
c. until receipt of all appropriate screening documents, the applicant maintains
probationary status; the probationary period has a minimum and maximum time allocation,
determined by the recruiting unit;
d. have two St. John representatives participate in every interview;
e. if the applicant requests an appeal to a negative decision, they may do so in
writing to the Provincial/Territorial Commissioner, who should also receive a copy of all
pertinent documentation from the Officer who made the decision. The decision made by the
Provincial/Territorial Commissioner will be final;
f. conduct annual performance appraisals on the anniversary date of a member’s
graduation to allow evaluation of their performance;
g. conduct annual evaluation of the screening process;
h. conduct exit interviews when members resign their membership.
