The Board of the St. John Association in Fiji (SJAF) welcomes the Government’s intent to formalise and strengthen the regulatory framework for humanitarian organizations. We recognise the vital service provided by the Fiji Red Cross Society (FRCS) and support its transition to a recognized legal entity with a statutory basis. However, the Board holds deep and serious reservations regarding a specific clause within the Draft Bill that proposes to formally recognise the FRCS as Fiji’s primary national provider of first aid training and certification. This designation directly undermines and disregards the established historical role of the St. John Association, an organization that has served as the premier, trusted, and most widespread provider of first aid and pre-hospital care training in Fiji for a continuous period of 86 years.
The St. John Association is the established cornerstone of first aid education in Fiji. Our history dates back to 1939, a long tenure that has allowed us to embed our training standards across the nation. Our certifications are not just voluntary; they are recognized and mandated across numerous critical sectors, including maritime, mining, aviation, and various levels of the civil service. We have an extensive network and a long-standing, rigorously developed syllabus that serves as a benchmark for national safety. To grant an effective legislative monopoly to another body by designating them as the “primary national provider” is to ignore this substantial, decades-long national investment in safety training, jeopardizing the financial sustainability and continuity of St. John’s vital services.
The Board urges the Government to consider the adverse national impact of this specific provision. Granting preferential status risks reducing necessary competition, hindering innovation in pre-hospital care, and potentially lowering service standards across the sector. Rather than focusing on granting preferential status to any single provider, the Bill should aim to ensure universal high standards and effective coordination among all established, accredited training organizations. The St. John Association proposes that the contentious phrase “primary national provider” be deleted entirely from the Bill. Instead, the legislation should confirm the role of a neutral, statutory body—such as the Fiji Qualifications Authority—as the sole national authority responsible for accrediting and overseeing all first aid certifications based on objective quality and rigor, thereby ensuring national safety standards are upheld by all.
To safeguard the nation’s emergency preparedness capacity and to acknowledge the contribution of the St. John Association, the Board formally requests three assurances. First, we seek immediate clarification on the Government’s precise definition and intent behind the term “primary national provider.” Second, we require explicit written assurance that the passage of this Bill will not in any way invalidate, restrict, or de-recognise the first aid certifications that are currently issued by the St. John Association in Fiji.
In view of this drastic step by Government we are requesting your input, suggestions and even redrafting of a better approach to this bill as it has far reaching implications for St. JOHN ASSOCIATION IN FIJI.
Vinaka vakalevu.
Finally, we respectfully request that SJAF be formally included in any inter-agency committee or working group established to standardise first aid training and certification under the authority of the new legislation. We are ready and eager to collaborate with the Government and all humanitarian partners to ensure the highest level of service for the people of Fiji.
This response was shared by:
Dr Ratu Vereniki Raiwauli, Chairman of the St. John Association in Fiji, on behalf of their Board.
International Support for a Collaborative Approach
St. John Association Fiji is not alone in its commitment to strengthening first aid capacity across the Pacific. St John International, Hato Hone St John and St John Ambulance Australia fully endorse the position of St. John Ambulance Fiji. The Order of St John globally stands ready to work alongside St. John Association Fiji and the Government of Fiji to ensure the highest possible standards of First Aid. We share a common goal: to see as many people as possible trained in first aid, because widespread first aid ability saves lives.
Achieving this requires an inclusive regulatory framework that encourages multiple accredited providers to operate, innovate, and expand reach — not a monopoly that risks limiting access and diversity of training. We strongly support the empowering of an independent qualifications authority, such as the Fiji Qualifications Authority, as the neutral body responsible for accrediting all first aid training providers in Fiji based on objective standards of quality and rigour.
We welcome the opportunity to support St. John Association Fiji’s collaboration with the Government of Fiji on developing this approach, ensuring that legislation reflects both international best practice and Fiji’s unique needs. Together, we can build a system that prioritizes safety, accessibility, and resilience for all Fijians.
Signed by:
John Whitehead, Chancellor (Chair) of St John Hate Hone New Zealand Aotearoa
Cameron Oxley, Chancellor (Chair) of St John Australia
Thomas Budd, Chancellor of the Order of St John (Worldwide)
Michel C. Doré, Sub Prior of the Order of St John (Worldwide)
Susan le Jeune d’Allegeerscheque, Secretary General of the Order of St John (Worldwide)
