The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Iranian Red Crescent Society (IRCS) are strengthening their cooperation to enhance emergency response and pre-hospital care capacities, particularly in mass-casualty incidents.

As part of this cooperation, the first three-day training workshop on “Trauma for First Responders” was held for selected IRCS personnel, with a focus on trauma and pre-hospital care. The training aims to strengthen the capacity of IRCS personnel to provide timely and effective lifesaving services and ensure the safe evacuation and transfer of injured and sick people.

The recent escalation of hostilities has created significant operational challenges for the IRCS Relief and Rescue Organization, one of the key actors at the forefront of emergency response. Its teams are often among the first responders at the scene of mass-casualty incidents and, in high-risk environments, are responsible for evacuating casualties, stabilizing patients and carrying out emergency transfers. This has further highlighted the importance of strengthening technical preparedness through specialized training in mass-casualty management.

The training brought together eight IRCS personnel from the Training, Relief and Rescue, and Emergency Health departments from Tehran and Alborz provinces.

In the opening ceremony, IRCS Under-Secretary-General for Education, Research and Technology, Dr. Rajaei, said the course aims to improve staff knowledge and skill levels, bring education closer to global standards, and eventually form a specialized team for pre-hospital trauma.

“The planning for the course began last year after the first hostilities.” explained Navid Dadbin, Health Program Manager at the ICRC. “It will be implemented with three 3-day training courses followed by selection of a group of participants to be trained as trainers. A road map for continuation will be drawn up in the end,” he added.

The courses include theoretical and practical sessions, group work, scenario-based exercises covering different types of incidents, and simulation exercises.

The workshop is part of a broader capacity-building cooperation between the ICRC and IRCS, aimed at strengthening the capacities of IRCS operational personnel.