A 17-year-old first-aid training program was held in the Rivne region
The 8th Ukrainian Red Cross Summer First Aid School has concluded in the Rivne region. Over the course of five days, 107 instructors and trainers honed their first aid teaching skills and explored new ways to prepare people for real-life emergencies.
A program for teaching first aid to children was also presented during the event. Additionally, trainers from across Ukraine conducted separate sessions for approximately 400 residents of Rivne Oblast.
Over the course of five days, the school’s participants worked on how to better teach people to provide first aid. They refined their own teaching skills and discussed how to adapt international standards to Ukrainian realities.
Special attention was given to new approaches to training. The goal is to ensure that first aid knowledge meets not only international requirements but also the real-life conditions in which Ukrainians live. “First aid is shifting from a one-size-fits-all standard to a context-specific approach—we maintain international standards, but we adapt training to real-world conditions, resources, and risks,” noted Nadiya Yamnenko, head of the Ukrainian Red Cross’s first aid department and master trainer.
The goal is to teach children to help others from an early age
During the summer school, the Ukrainian Red Cross presented the “Henry—First Aid Training for Children” program. Its goal is to familiarize children with basic safety rules and first aid from an early age. The goal is to gradually help children understand how to act if someone nearby is injured or in danger.
School participants also identified several areas they plan to develop in the near future. These include an international five-year recertification for the first aid program, as well as the integration of such training into support programs for veterans and communities affected by the war.
Separately, they plan to expand the “Henry” program after it receives state certification. They are also exploring the development of digital learning and a blended format, where some classes are held online and others in person. Another area of focus is the training of volunteer fire departments and community leaders. They will be able not only to gain knowledge themselves but also to pass it on to others.
About 400 people were trained in the Rivne region
The summer school provided an opportunity to strengthen first aid training directly in the region hosting the event. Instructors and trainers from various regions of Ukraine conducted six-hour training sessions in Rivne Oblast for approximately 400 people. Participants included, among others, representatives of the National Police of Ukraine.
Such sessions enable people to acquire practical skills that may be needed during an emergency, accident, or other dangerous situation.
Nearly 500,000 people have already completed the training
The Ukrainian Red Cross has been actively expanding its first-aid training programs since the start of the full-scale war. Since February 24, 2022, nearly 500,000 people have completed such training.
The Red Cross notes that it intends to expand this work in the future. Among its main objectives are training new instructors, developing training programs for communities, veterans, and children, and utilizing digital formats. The 8th Summer First Aid School served as a platform where experts could discuss these changes, share experiences, and determine how to make the training more useful for people in real-world situations. The Ukrainian Red Cross reported this on Facebook.
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