Armadillo at Large

Personal safety, security and first aid for humanitarian aid workers

If youʼre working for an NGO in Afghanistan, youʼre probably all too aware of the everyday dangers you face in this hazardous environment. You put up with them because youʼre committed to getting your humanitarian job done.

But did you realise that you and your colleagues could make yourselves safer – without getting in the way of your programme?

Attend our practical training, and youʼll have effective tools to improve safety and security at your fingertips. Youʼll know how to approach each threat to make it less likely to happen, and to reduce its impact if it does happen.

More than 500 of your colleagues in Afghanistan have already attended this 4 day course over the last three years. The course has been specifically developed for the current context within Afghanistan by experienced field security staff, constantly updated as the situation changes.

As well as looking at specific threats in Afghanistan, weʼll cover the bigger picture of agency safety and security so that you can contribute to the continued wellbeing of your colleagues.

Youʼll be learning from Armadilloʼs own consultants, who have decades of security experience, are dedicated to the field of humanitarian security, and have specific and deep context knowledge of Afghanistan gained through personal experience.

For your personal safety

• Review the current threats in Afghanistan and how to minimise your vulnerability to them
  
• Know how to minimise the likelihood of being kidnapped, and how best to survive if the worst should happen
• Understand how your own behaviour can affect your safety, and master the doʼs and donʼts
• Learn how to be safer where there are guns, bombs, and things that go bang
• Be ready for emergencies: know what to have and what to do, practice your new skills in a safe environment, and learn how to develop your personal contingency plan
• Be prepared to deliver immediate first aid.

For your teamʼs safety

• Develop a practical understanding of the safety and security process
• Know your individual security responsibilities and how you can contribute to your colleaguesʼ safety and security
• Learn to reduce vulnerability & risks through thoughtful use of a coherent security strategy
• Know how and why to report all security and safety incidents - contributing to the security of your own agency and other humanitarians
• Understand the importance of recognising and reducing ʻeverydayʼ hazards for a safer working environment.

What the course covers

• Introduction to the security process, the security management framework
• Context – the individualʼs perspective, why it matters and how it can help us predict what might happen next
• Risk, threat and vulnerability, what can hurt us and how we can minimise vulnerability
• Remote Area First Aid
• Kidnapping and abduction – awareness and avoidance
• Hostage survival
• Explosive remnants of war, mines, explosives, ordnance
• Criminality and banditry
• Fire and carbon monoxide risks
• Fighting – how to find protection from small arms  or indirect fire attacks
• Improvised explosive devices – how to reduce the likelihood or impact of being caught up in an IED attack
• Incident reporting – why it matters and how to do it
• Personal preparedness, how to develop your own contingency plans

Session Objectives

Introduction to the Security Management Framework (SMF)

• Gain overview of the SMF
• Relate it to individual perspective
• Understand the linkages in ʻthe machineʼ

Context

• Know why context matters – and that it starts with you
• Know what you need to know about the context
• How the individual contributes to agency awareness
• Understand the importance of your image and perception

Risk, Threat, and Vulnerability

• Identify the specific threats that exist in Afghanistan for you now
• Analyse what makes us as aid workers particularly vulnerableUnderstand how vulnerability varies between individuals
• Understand the link between minimising vulnerability and risk management and the importance of procedures to achieve this

Focus on Mines and Explosive Remnants of War (ERW)

• Understand the mines and ERW threat in context
• Learn how to minimise exposure
• Know what to do in the event of exposure to mines and ERW

Focus on Kidnap and Abduction

• Know how to minimise the likelihood of kidnap or abduction and avoid being an easy target
• Understand the difference between kidnap and abduction, and the implications
• Know how to minimise the impact of kidnap and abduction and understand survival strategies

Individual Contingency Planning

• Know the various types of incidents which are common within Afghanistan
• Understand the impact that an incident will have
• Develop awareness of what you can do if that incident happens to you

Personal Preparation

• Know what being mentally and physically prepared looks like
• Understand the implications of poor personal preparation
• Be able to put together an effective personal quick run bag

Safety Management

• Understand safety risks such as fire, carbon monoxide poisoning and natural hazards
• Be able to minimise vulnerability to safety risks
• Be able to reduce safety hazards and survive an incident if it does happen

Travel Risks

• Know what the risks in travel are
• Be able to prepare to travel safely
• Practice managing hostile checkpoint situations

Remote Area First Aid

One of the most important skills that you as an aid worker should have. This section of the course will focus on vital techniques that could help you to save the life of your team members or your family. Here you will learn how to diagnose and treat life threatening injuries such as

• major bleeds, such as traumatic amputations that are common in explosions
• gunshot wounds,
• blast injuries,
• airway management, how to help someone who has stopped breathing

Incident Reporting

• Know why it matters
• Know how to do it
• Practice an immediate incident report

Individual Action Planning

• Recognise and prioritise required personal actions
• Develop a personal action plan.

The Armadillo Team

Steve Ritchie
The Armadillo Regional expert for South Asia, with extensive knowledge and experience of the Afghanistan context. Steve advises a number of clients on safety and security in the region, maintaining his knowledge through working on the ground as a safety and security practitioner. Happily he is also a first class communicator and trainer as well.

Michelle Mackintosh
Co-founder of Armadillo. Has a with a wealth of real on the ground experience in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq and many countries in Africa. Michelle has learned about safety and security through experience, often hard earned. She has led real teams in real crisis, and is superbly equipped to pass this knowledge on through interactive training that creates high levels of understanding

Nick Abrahams
A man with years of NGO field experience in Afghanistan and elsewhere, most recently as an interim security officer for one of our clients in Afghanistan over the summer period. Once again, a wealth of experience combined with the capacity to communicate and reach the understanding of those whom he trains

Every member of the Armadillo team is required to know from personal experience what it is like to be a humanitarian delivering programs in hostile environments – we aim to help you work more safely whilst continuing to deliver until the last safe moment.

Safer Working In The Field: personal safety, security & field first aid

Four day program, non-residential

One person: $1,270
Two people: $2,413
Three people: $3,429
Four people: $4,572

Single-day first aid training: $320

Three-day personal safety and security: $970

Price includes lunch, refreshments, and Armadillo certification

Fill in the form here to reserve your place(s)