East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) Call Handler Jobs: How to Apply
7 June 2026
How to become a 999 call handler with East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) — what the role involves, the counties it covers, pay, the assessment process, and how to prepare.
The Role at EMAS
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) recruits Emergency Medical Dispatchers / 999 Call Handlers to answer emergency calls, gather the information needed to send the right response, and support callers — sometimes giving life-saving instructions — until help arrives. It is a high-pressure but genuinely meaningful role, and a strong route into the NHS for people without a clinical background.
You do not need previous experience or qualifications beyond the basics. EMAS provides full training, including on the triage system used to grade calls. Selection is about the right qualities: composure, accurate listening, fast and precise typing, and disciplined adherence to procedure.
The Region You Would Cover
EMAS serves the six counties of the East Midlands — Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland — a mix of cities such as Nottingham, Leicester and Derby and large rural areas. Calls are taken from the trust's emergency operations centres in the region; your training and base location depend on the vacancy you apply for.
Pay
Call handler roles sit on the NHS Agenda for Change scale, usually at Band 3 — £25,760 rising to £27,476 for 2026/27 — with unsocial-hours enhancements on top for nights, weekends and bank holidays. Check the band and any allowances in the specific advert. See our pay, bands and shifts guide for how the enhancements work in practice.
The Assessment Process
EMAS recruitment typically runs through an online application and supporting statement, online assessments, and a values-based interview. The exact tests vary and can change, but control-room assessments commonly test skills such as typing, comprehension, recall, situational judgement and call logging. The best preparation is to practice each format under timed conditions. You can try the free practice test demos to get comfortable with what is coming.
How to Apply and Prepare
EMAS vacancies are posted on the trust's careers pages and NHS Jobs. To prepare well: craft a tailored supporting statement, work through the assessment-day stages, sharpen your audio typing, and prepare STAR answers for the ambulance call handler interview. New to this kind of work? Start with becoming a 999 call handler with no experience. 999ready is an independent preparation resource and is not affiliated with East Midlands Ambulance Service; always check the official EMAS careers site for current vacancies and requirements.
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Sample questions from our call handler practice tests — no account needed.
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