Join the #Ambulance! (2017) initiative to make access to health care and its provision safer and better protected

Download the #Ambulance! initiative information in English, in Spanish, and in Arabic


#Ambulance! 2017 brochure (English)

#Ambulance! 2017 folleto (español)

#Ambulance! 2017 brochure (Arabic)

Únase a la #Ambulance! (2017) iniciativa en español
الانضمام إلى #Ambulance! (2017) باللغة العربية

We have different job roles, practices, and challenges. But the risk of violence is one thing almost everyone has in common, even in peaceful settings.

Despite the potentially serious impact of violence, shared experience, resources and training available to us may be very limited.

In October 2016, over 700 pre-hospital emergency workers from 70 countries signed up for the initiative. In four weeks, we documented 72 front-line incidents of violence and similar risks, and we came up with practical approaches to dealing with such risks.

In 2017, we are inviting you to join this global Community of Action to make access to health care and its provision safer and better protected.

What the #Ambulance! Crew said in 2016

“The course primarily created a deeper sense of risk awareness. Whereas my main thought process before each call was essentially medical revision of the task at hand, I now also think of the possible risks and best practices in each situation.”

Who this initiative is for

  • If you work or have worked in an ambulance or other emergency health crew, in peace or war, we urge you to join.
  • Nonmedical staff and volunteers working to ensure the safety and security of emergency health workers are also encouraged to join.

What the #Ambulance! Crew said in 2016

“I’ve identified many similar challenges faced by colleagues who work in completely different contexts.”

“I am learning that I am not alone in this struggle to save lives – and that my security issues are not as bad as those faced by others.”

What you will gain

  1. Take part in a global effort to protect ambulance and other emergency health workers.
  2. Widen your grasp of pre‑hospital emergency care, beyond your local context.
  3. Share problems and, with peers from all over the world, learn how to solve them.
  4. Improve your risk awareness in your own country and setting.
  5. Work with your peers to create a course project that you can use in your work.

What the #Ambulance! Crew said in 2016

“I’m learning that as responders, we are very important and we all have challenges in our communities.”

“When we combine our experience with others’ experience, we gain a lot.”

How the courses will work

What is happening when

In 2017, there are three ways that you can get involved.

Starting on 5 June 2017, you are invited to join the Summer course. We will identify and share the good practices that help us prevent and face violence, even in peaceful settings.

Then, launching on 4 September 2017, participants in the Fall course will document new case studies of incidents of violence and security risk.

The focus of each course is different, but they are organized in the same way. You may join one or both courses. They are complementary.

Also, we will be hosting webinars (dates to be announced) to support one of us facing a security dilemma or challenge, in order that all of us may learn from it.

These initiatives are free of charge and there is no cost to be paid by participants.

#Ambulance! Summer 2017#Ambulance! Fall 2017#Ambulance! Webinars
FocusShare good practice to improve securityAnalyze incidents of violence and risk.Problem-solving to support a colleague facing a security or violence challenge
Where to applyClick here to applyClick here to applyClick here to apply
Apply by4 June 20173 September 2017Register any time to receive your invitation.

Dates and topics to be announced to all registered participants).

Three events (English, Arabic, Spanish) for each date.
Pre-course briefing session29 May 201728 August
Course start date5 June 20174 September
Course end date7 July 20176 October
Commencement event12 July 201711 October
Weekly discussion group (30 minutes)7, 14, 21, 28 June, 5 July6, 13, 20, 27 September; 4 October

What you will get to do in each course

  1. Create a course project to help you tackle the security issues that you have faced in your work.
  2. Learn from the experience of others by giving feedback on their projects.
  3. Share tools, good practices, and lessons learned.
  4. Revise your project, using what you have learned.

What is different about each course?

  • In the Summer course (June–July 2017) you will learn to identify, describe, and share good practice to improve security. Apply for the Summer course by 4 June 2017
  • In the Fall course (September–October 2017), you will learn to describe and analyze incidents of violence and risk. Apply for the Fall course by 3 September 2017

Who will be leading this course?

  • The volunteer #Ambulance! team in 2017 will be composed of pre-hospital emergency care workers and volunteers who showed their dedication and effort in 2016 by successfully completing the course.
  • They will be supported by senior emergency health staff from the Red Cross Red Crescent Movement (IFRC, ICRC, and Norwegian Red Cross) and by the Geneva Learning Foundation.

What is the workload?

You will need to complete each week’s tasks by the end of the week. You should plan to:

  • spend at least 3-4 hours per week on course work during four weeks (at least 30-45 minutes per working day)
  • take part in a weekly, 30-minute online discussion every Wednesday.

If you are not fluent in one of the course languages (English, Spanish, and Arabic) or in using digital tools you should allow an extra 2-3 hours per week.

Information technology

You will need a reliable Internet connection and a computer that is less than five years old. You will need one of these browsers: Safari, Firefox, or Chrome.

Languages

The course languages will be English, Spanish, and Arabic. You will need “upper-intermediate” level of reading skills in your working language. What does this mean? If you can read this course announcement on your own, then you should be OK.

Groups of ten or more may propose to develop their course projects in other languages. This requires the commitment of a team leader for that language and prior approval by the global #Ambulance! team.

Cost

The course is free of charge. There is no cost to be paid by participants. Organizations are invited to make a voluntary cost contribution to support their staff and volunteers.

Certification

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) will issue a Certificate of Participation to all who complete the main project in a course. Webinar participants will receive a Certificate of Attendance. Organizations are encouraged to recognize the professional value of #Ambulance! certification as evidence of improved security and risk awareness.

What will happen to your course project

When you share your draft project with peers, reviewers will not be shown your name. Once your course project is final, it is yours to keep. If you agree to share it, your work may be shared with other participants. In addition, the course team may consider it to support the Community of Action’s future work. If this is the case, we will ask you to agree to this, taking account of any sensitive issues related to its content. We will then ask you to give the Norwegian Red Cross and the IFRC the right to use your course project.

Research

You may be asked to volunteer to take part in research to evaluate the impact of this course. If you do not agree, the research and evaluation team will collect no data. If you agree, you can stop at any time. Taking or not taking part will have no effect on your present or future relationship with any of the organizations involved in the course.

What the #Ambulance! Crew said in 2016

“I understood that we need to be connected with the population that we are helping, respecting diversity and listening to their feedback.”

Who is offering #Ambulance! and  why

The Norwegian Red Cross and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) are members of the Community of Action for Ambulance and Pre-Hospital Services in Risk Situations. The Community of Action is a network of practitioners and other experts interested in improving the operational security in violent situations, in order to better access people in need of emergency medical assistance. The initiative is being developed in partnership with the Geneva Learning Foundation.

What the #Ambulance! Crew said in 2016

“I gained new colleagues from around the world and we exchanged our experiences.”

Contact information

Please address any queries using the form below.

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    This page presents the #Ambulance! initiative in 2017 and explains how you can join and participate. It is still under review and may be updated. Last update: 2 may 2017 16h02 Geneva.