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Harnessing the full potential of volunteer rescue workers
Sandrine Tiller, currently the ICRC’s
Cooperation Coordinator (International Committee of the Red Cross) in Lebanon, is set to leave her post at the end of 2008. She will be sorely missed by all her co-workers, as she has
become a trusted colleague and a good friend. She was also the driving force behind the launch of the first module in a new training programme for Lebanese volunteer rescue workers. This programme is
part of the LRC’s five-year National Strategic Plan to improve the quality of emergency medical services in Lebanon.
The instructor training course, to some extent, seeks to professionalise volunteer work. Is there not an inherent conflict here?
Of course, volunteering and professionalisation are somewhat at odds. This is a challenge faced by many NGOs seeking to improve their performance in the field while remaining true to their original ethos. The LRC is no stranger to this issue. For example, the working methods of LRC management contrast sharply with those who actually work in the field/sponsors???. In the medium term at least, this could be problematic, particularly given that volunteer rescue workers are still excluded from the LRC decision-making process. Internal discussions are under way on the crafting of new statutes to rectify the situation.
The launch of the five-year National Strategic Plan was a success, due in no small part to Georges Kettaneh, the national director of the Emergency Medical Services Department. I have never met anyone so ready to embrace change. Although the plan has had a major impact on his work, it has not affected his commitment or focus. Without a hint of trepidation, he simply gets on with the job at hand!
So, how will the knowledge and expertise acquired by training course participants filter down into the routine operations of Red Cross stations dotted across the country?
First of all, it is worth remembering that, despite the lack of funding, the LRC has long managed to provide emergency services as the country was plunged into alternating periods of hostilities and ceasefires. This could only be achieved because all the Red Cross stations in Lebanon operate independently and decide themselves on what action needs to be taken on the ground. However, this piecemeal organisation cannot continue, as it is in conflict with a fundamental human right, namely the right of every citizen to the same treatment. If all Lebanese people are to enjoy access to the same high-quality medical treatment irrespective of where they live, the country’s emergency medical services have to be standardised.
We are now at the start of a phase which will see the introduction of a handbook for two dozen instructors who, along with dozens more rescue workers and future instructors, will be responsible for monitoring the standards of emergency medical services in Lebanon. But important issues need to be resolved first, such as the choice of new techniques for inclusion in the training programme. Once these decisions have been taken, it will be up to the LRC Medical Committee to approve the new curriculum. This will enable instructors to apply international standards brought by the Swiss but adapted to Lebanese conditions. It is, therefore, essential that instructors can be brought to agree the new guidelines by consensus. They should feel comfortable with the retained methods and should consult their users. Last but not least, instructors should establish a firm timetable for the production of the handbook. According to current plans, all these steps should be taken by the end of 2009.
Is future ICRC and SDC funding assured?
The level of funding pledged by the ICRC for 2009 remains unchanged from 2008. The ICRC will also help fund other training courses, such as “Visa 1+, which is an introductory course for new rescue workers, and “Visa 2”, which covers basic, refresher and revision courses for emergency vehicle operators. Plans are also afoot to offer project management training and an English-language course.
So, what you are essentially saying is that the training course for volunteer rescue workers is part of larger process to improve the quality of emergency service training in general?
Yes, exactly. For example, one of the aims of the LRC’s five-year strategic plan is to standardise emergency medical services across the country and to modernise their emergency response equipment. The ICRC has already donated 16 ambulances and will help co-fund the upgrade of Lebanon’s entire ambulance fleet. Another aim is to encourage cooperation between the individual Red Cross stations, whereby they would apply the same technical criteria to their missions, speak the same language and have the same emergency response resources at their disposal. Efficiency in the stations themselves could also be improved with the installation of computers and modern communications systems (including internet access and group messaging), the use of standardised forms as well as the revision of existing training manuals. These measures will be financed by the Shôken Fund. EMS management will also receive considerable financial assistance.
The SDC project is at the very heart of the new instructor training programme. It is an exemplar for future projects of this kind. I am quite sure that the ICRC, which supported the SDC project from the outset, will use it as a model for similar projects in other conflict zones or countries, particularly in Africa.