24 Hours Free Ambulance Service
24 Hours Free Ambulance Service
Hong Kong St. John Ambulance is a long-established statutory voluntary charitable organization. It was first founded in 1884 under the name Hong Kong St. John Ambulance Association. Later, the Brigade and the Council were established in 1916 and 1949 respectively. Guided by the mottoes of serving “For the Faith” and “For the Service of Humanity”, the organization is committed to helping people without any distinction as to colour, class, or creed.
The Council is the supreme governing body of the organization. It is responsible for setting policies, raising funds, allocating resources, and coordinating and supporting all activities of the Association and the Brigade.
The Association serves as the training branch, providing training in first aid, home nursing, ambulance aid and allied health.
The Brigade is the service branch. Members wear uniforms and provide first aid, ambulance services, dental care, and other related services to the public.
In 2015, Hong Kong St. John Ambulance became the 11th Priory among more than 40 international St. John establishments, participating in international affairs and decision-making. In 2026, it was further authorized by The St. John International to confer honour admissions or promotions in The Order of St. John on individuals who have made outstanding contributions to The St. John Priory of Hong Kong.
The organization currently has more than 8,000 volunteers, over half of whom are student members of the Cadet Division, with the remainder being adults. They are supported by around one hundred salaried staff. Members of the St. John family come from every corner of Hong Kong and all walks of life: government officials, professionals, white-collar and blue-collar workers, and more. Structurally, it is diverse, with each role fulfilling its duties: Council Members, Committee Members, Advisors, Presidents, Lecturers, Instructors, Officers, and Brigade Members, etc.
St. John upholds Eight Values: Respect, Unselfishness, Excellence, Openness and Transparency, Devotion, Togetherness, Diversity and Inclusiveness, and Faithfulness. All members embrace the spirit of teamwork and a shared commitment to serving the society.
In addition, St. John has Seven Key Policies: Equality and Diversity; Health and Safety; Child Protection; Privacy and Data Protection; Anti-Fraud, Anti-Corruption and Anti-Bribery; Making a Disclosure in the Public Interest; and Protection of Adults at Risk of Harm.
The work of Hong Kong St. John Ambulance mainly consists of five areas:
1. Training in first aid, nursing, ambulance aid and allied health
2. Emergency ambulance services
3. First aid duty services
4. Dental services
5. Training and development of youth
(1) Training in First Aid, Nursing, Ambulance Aid and Allied Health
The training courses offered by Hong Kong St. John Ambulance are extensive and diverse, and open to the general public. Some are accredited by the Labour Department, the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, or certified under ISO 9001:2015. They include:
1. First Aid Courses: First aid, Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), Automated External Defibrillation (AED), ‘Stop the Bleed’, etc.
2. Pet First Aid Courses
3. Advanced Courses: Basic Psychological Life Support, Sports Emergencies, Basic Life Support in Obstetrics, Pre-hospital Trauma Life Support, Advanced Medical Life Support, All Hazards Disaster Response, Electrocardiography, etc.
4. Ambulance Courses: Ambulance Aid, Ambulance Driving, etc.
5. Nursing Courses: Home nursing, health worker training, personal care worker training, care-related support worker (clinical service) training, domestic helper training, infection control, epilepsy care, diabetes care, peritoneal dialysis training, stroke rehabilitation, and commonly used nursing English vocabulary.
(2) Emergency Ambulance Services
Hong Kong St. John Ambulance began providing emergency ambulance services to the public as early as the 1930s. The mission of this service is to deliver appropriate pre-hospital treatment and care during transportation, to save lives, prevent deterioration of conditions, and promote recovery.
Its current operations have the following features:
· 24-hour service throughout the year
· Free of charge
· Ambulance services can be directly summoned by the public (hotline: 1878 000)
· When necessary and circumstances permit, patients can be transported to A&E Departments of private hospitals or to public hospitals across regions
(3) First Aid Duty Services
The St. John Ambulance Brigade provides free on-site services by deploying ambulances and first aiders at the request of organizers and according to actual needs during large-scale events. Examples include horse racing, football matches, rugby competitions, and marathon races.
In 2009, the Brigade established the Cycle Response Unit, which patrols cycling tracks at Tai Mei Tuk, Nam Sang Wai, and Tsuen Wan waterfront on weekends, Sundays, and public holidays, offering immediate first aid in cycling accidents.
(4) Dental Services
The St. John Ambulance Brigade dental service began in 1950. Hong Kong is the only region within the global St. John network that provides this service free of charge. It offers dental treatment to the underprivileged, people with special needs, and children with disabilities. At the same time, it trains and supports other volunteer members.
(5) Training and Development of Children and Youth (ages 8–17)
The Cadet Division emphasizes encouraging members to make good use of their spare time, cultivating social and practical skills such as first aid, home nursing, foot drill, flag-raising, and leadership training. It also fosters noble character, personal hobbies, team spirit, and the development of sound physical and mental health, together with a spirit of serving the society.
Cadet activities are wide-ranging, including canoeing, mountaineering, lifesaving, map reading and cooking, etc.
With the rapid development of technology, Hong Kong St. John Ambulance also strives to keep pace with the time. Thanks to the efforts of the Information Technology Committee, our website has been completely revamped to facilitate communication among St. John members and with the outside community, as well as to improve course management and duty arrangements.
Becoming a member of St. John not only broadens one’s horizons and activity varieties, but also expands local, Mainland, and international social circles, allowing members to meet selfless, helpful friends - especially those from the uniform and related groups. At the same time, members can enhance their knowledge and skills in areas such as first aid, ambulance work, nursing, foot drill, and flag-raising. They can also cultivate good character, moral values, and discipline.
St. John welcomes you. St. John cherishes you. For own self and for others, to save lives and to help those in need - helping others is the foundation of happiness, please join St. John and support St. John.
