Safeguarding emergency workers as they help others

Citation

(2009), "Safeguarding emergency workers as they help others", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 18 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2009.07318dab.001

Safeguarding emergency workers as they help others

Article Type: News items From: Disaster Prevention and Management, Volume 18, Issue 4

RoSPA press release

Equipping emergency workers with the skills to assess the risks that they and others face at the scene of incidents is the aim of a new course developed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and the Scottish Ambulance Service.

The Risk Assessment for Emergency Responders (RAFER) course is based on training already undertaken by the Scottish Ambulance Service’s Special Operations Response (SOR) Teams. It can be tailored to meet the needs of emergency services across the UK.

Three SOR Teams, which are part of the ambulance service’s National Risk and Resilience Department, are located across Scotland. They are deployed to major incidents and other events requiring specialist support, including police operations.

RoSPA accredited a training programme for the teams to equip them with the knowledge and skills to apply dynamic and analytical risk assessment techniques within the rapidly changing circumstances of an operational incident. The training is now being made available to other emergency services.

In addition to the assessment of risks, the RAFER course provides training in the implementation of control measures and the recording of risk assessment findings. Held over two days, it is highly practical with the second day giving delegates the opportunity to practise risk assessment in different scenarios.

Dr Karen McDonnell, head of RoSPA Scotland, said: “Emergency workers are much-valued members of our communities. One of the key requirements of their role is the ability to multi-task, including through the provision of high-quality assistance and care at the scene of incidents and accidents while remaining mindful of the risks to themselves and others as they go about their work.”

“We are delighted to have partnered with the Scottish Ambulance Service in the development of this specialist risk assessment training which is specifically targeted at the dynamic and challenging work environments of our emergency services.”

Jim Dickie, resilience manager at the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: “Our Special Operations Response Teams bring safe and effective care to patients, regardless of their physical location, by enhancing the quality of care available in challenging and hazardous environments.”

“The ability of team members to accurately assess the risks to themselves and others in these environments, and to take steps to control these risks, is crucial in order to prevent already challenging situations from becoming even more serious.”

“We hope our colleagues in other services will benefit from the specialist training that we have developed with RoSPA.”

For more information about the Risk Assessment for Emergency Responders course, contact Karen McDonnell on 0131 4499378 or e-mail Scotland_training@rospa.com