Prehospital Emergency Care Field Officer

What we do

Since 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked to preserve human dignity and relieve suffering caused by war and armed violence.

In collaboration with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners around the world, we do everything we can to deliver life-saving aid, reconnect families and locate missing people – helping those who need it most, regardless of who they are and what side of the front line they are on.

We engage with authorities and armed forces on all sides, often confidentially, pressing for access to detainees to improve their living conditions and urging compliance with international humanitarian law to protect non-combatants, including from digital threats.

Purpose

The Prehospital Emergency Care Field Officer (PHEC FO) manages First & Aid & Prehospital Emergency Care (FAPHEC) programmes and resources in Somalia, ensuring effective implementation, monitoring, reporting and follow-up against approved objectives and resources.

The role holder supports the development of safe, effective and context-appropriate first aid and prehospital emergency care systems, ensuring that wounded and sick people receive timely care and are appropriately referred for further treatment. 

The role also strengthens the emergency preparedness and response capacity of health systems and relevant actors to manage prehospital emergencies and mass-casualty incidents.

The PHEC FO provides technical leadership for FAPHEC activities, ensuring effective planning, coordination, resource management and alignment with ICRC priorities and delegation objectives.

This is a national/resident position based in Mogadishu, Somalia.

Accountabilities & functional responsibilities

• Develops and maintains an overall understanding of the FAPHEC system, including needs, capacities, resources, local coping mechanisms and referral pathways, and identifies the appropriate role and added value of the ICRC and Movement partners

• Develops and strengthens local FAPHEC capacities by designing, implementing and adapting context-appropriate projects and Plans of Action with relevant stakeholders, aligned with ICRC guidance and organizational priorities

• Builds and strengthen the capacity of FAPHEC stakeholders, ICRC and non-ICRC personnel, through coaching, technical support and contextualized ICRC guidance and educational materials, promoting competent, safe, principled and locally adapted emergency response

• Develops constructive partnerships and coordination mechanisms among relevant FAPHEC stakeholders, including relevant Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement partners, to strengthen preparedness, response capacity and sustainable local ownership

• Integrates security-management approaches, including the Safer Access Framework and Health Care in Danger, into FAPHEC preparedness and response, and supports stakeholders to anticipate and manage emergencies safely

• Develops and delivers FAPHEC training programmes for first responders and healthcare staff, covering trauma care, patient assessment, stabilization, referral and mass casualty management

• Delivers and facilitates FAPHEC courses, including Basic Emergency Care, First Responder Trauma Course, Clinical Training of Trainers (ToT) adapted to the needs and level of the target group

• Promotes systematic patient assessment, effective teamwork, clinical decision-making and evidence-based prehospital emergency care practices

• Supports health authorities, National Societies and healthcare facilities to strengthen emergency preparedness and response capacities, based on context-specific risks, needs and available resources

Accountabilities & functional responsibilities

• Supports the development and implementation of SOPs, preparedness and response plans, clinical pathways and referral mechanisms for emergencies and mass casualty incidents

• Strengthens the preparedness and functioning of stabilization points and other prehospital care structures, including patient assessment, stabilization, triage, referral and transfer arrangements

• Supports the development of mass casualty management and surge capacity plans, including patient flow, roles and responsibilities, communication and coordination mechanisms

• Establishes and uses monitoring tools and indicators (e.g. MAD) to assess FAPHEC activities against agreed objectives

• Analyzes programme data, training results and field observations to identify gaps and areas for improvement

• Promotes quality improvement and results-based management across FAPHEC programmes

• Country level focal point for the ePCR application in Somalia, responsible for ensuring data integrity and the expansion of the initiative in other relevant sites

Skills and qualifications

Certifications / Education required

• Bachelor’s degree in medicine, paramedical discipline or nursing

• Qualification in advanced prehospital emergency care training/education and prehospital emergency care programming

• Postgraduate diploma/certificate in public health or emergency/disaster medicine and mass casualty management is an asset

Professional experience required

• Experience in Project management  

• Experience as a trainer in Prehospital Trauma Life Support (PHTLS), Tactical Combat Casualty Care (TCCC), Emergo Train System, MIMMS, Basic Emergency Care (BEC) or similar certification is an asset

• Experience in emergency medical service (EMS) management, EMS development, EMS quality improvement or EMS dispatch/communication and humanitarian project management 

Desired profile and skills

• 5 years professional experience in similar health activities

• Trauma and prehospital care knowledge

• Strong facilitation, presentation and training skills

• Excellent planning and organizational skills

• Ability to create a focused learning environment at all levels

• Excellent knowledge of political, social, economic and cultural aspects in Somalia

• Fluency in written and spoken English and Somali language

• Proficiency in MS Office suite

• Flexibility and willingness to travel within Somalia

Language

•    English
•    Somali