7 January 2022 – 31 March 2022

Prior to the start of the project, Siren coordinated with the relevant stakeholders in the Philippines, Maldives and Indonesia to clearly establish the training requirements in each country. This, coupled with the previous FRTFAT project completion report, enabled Siren to get a better understanding of the trainees’ capacities and identify priority training areas. Two teams of two trainers provided the training cohorts with the required medical skills and equipment, as well as the training skills to be able to further develop first response capabilities.

Despite COVID-19 restrictions, the project was highly successful. Student confidence levels increased in both the practical provision of first aid to casualties and in their ability to deliver a first responders’ course. In pre/post-tests, trainees in Maldives demonstrated an improved training capacity, with a 72% increase in their training skills as a result of the Training Skills Course. First aid knowledge was also seen to increase across all three countries as a result of the initial and refresher Trauma First Aid courses. Overall, pre/post tests indicated a 38% increase in first aid knowledge as a result of these courses; in Maldives, knowledge gain was particularly significant, with a 74% increase. Taken together, the high rate of success demonstrates the relevance of the training material and the effectiveness of the approach.

In countries where students belong to different organisations (police services, medical services, etc.), the training fostered interoperability. This is crucial in the event of a mass casualty event as enhanced interoperability leads to increased coordination, thereby resulting in a more effective intervention.

The ‘can do’ attitude of the Siren trainers was instrumental in ensuring the continuation of the course in a bespoke format when there was an outbreak of Covid-19 cases among the students in Maldives, which delayed the start of the training. The trainers reconfigured the course content and redesigned the delivery package in a manner that achieved the maximum outcomes in the timeframe available.

In Indonesia, with the strong knowledge and ability present in class, the training team re-designed the course content to incorporate a ‘learning while teaching’ approach consisting of a blend of teaching techniques supplemented with first aid instruction to reinforce learning and provide examples of best practice. This by far was the most effective means for building confidence and expanding trainee knowledge. Major multi-casual scenarios run by the trainers received extremely positive feedback from trainees. Siren’s ability to tailor training delivery to the different cohort’s needs and effectively engagingly use these methods was a critical component of changing the perspective of trainees regarding the means and methods for delivering training.

Indonesia, Maldives, Philippines

Government of the United Kingdom

Strategic and Programme Development Team