All good questions Yakka
1) If they want to be a non emergency ambulance service then yes they need to be government approved and audited... i.e Paramedical Services, IMS Ambulance ect...
Their staff have to hold nationally approved qualifications, their vehicles and equipment have to meet SA Health standards (note SA Health regulate not SA Ambulance Service)... even St John Volunteers are licenced by SA Health as a ambulance service and they are training their staff to national certificate II, II and IV levels!
2) Then you have people working at industrial sites. i.e mines, desalination plant ect... not government regulated but most hold national qualifications i.e Ambulance Officer Certificate 4 or Diploma Paramedic. Most of these companies are reputable.
3) Event first aid companies who are non regulated. Sometimes they use staff with national qualifications but often then use people with just a first aid certificate and call them paramedics or medics. Their vehicles and equipment are unregulated. Not all Paramedics are created equal in name or skills !
