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USAID/OFDA
REGIONAL OFFICE FOR
LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN – USAID/OFDA/LAC
REGIONAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (RDAP)
TRAINING PORTFOLIO

Para Español, presione aquí

USAID/OFDA/LAC, through its Regional Disaster Assistance Program (RDAP), is currently providing technical assistance and training in 30 countries of the Latin America and Caribbean region. The assistance and training focus on the following five areas:

The training and technical assistance program features a series of courses, which are described below the definition of each focus area. The Reference Materials for each course and, in some cases, the Pre-Work required for the course, are also included. These documents can be downloaded in PDF format. It is worth mentioning that our courses and workshops to form course instructors also involve other materials that are used during the development of the trainings, such as: the Coordinator’s Guide, Instructor’s Material/Lesson Plan, Distribution Materials, Participants’ Workbook, Transparencies, exercises and other complementary material for the instructor and participants.

METHODS OF INSTRUCTION

This area includes the Training for Instructors (TFI) course designed mainly to provide the skills necessary to offer better adult training.

1. TRAINING FOR INSTRUCTORS (TFI):
Purpose: To provide participants with a methodology that will help them improve their capacities as instructors. The duration of this course is 5 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Training
3. Objectives
4. Communication Skills
5. Training Methods, Modes and Techniques
6. Evaluation
7. Physical Environment and Support Materials
8. Lesson Plan

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English (English TFI Pre-Work - 2.38mb PDF) (English TFI Reference Materials - 1.46mb PDF)
2. Spanish (Spanish TFI Pre-Work - 205kb PDF) (Spanish TFI Reference Materials - 2.03mb PDF)
3. Portugese (Portugese TFI Pre-Work - 102kb PDF) (Portugese TFI Reference Materials - 955kb PDF)
4. French
   
   
   

DISASTER RISK MANAGEMENT

This area seeks to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to reduce risk and increase preparedness and response capabilities. This includes the development of integrated processes of disaster risk management, disaster risk reduction activities, and capacities to assess the damage resulting from an impact and to clearly define the resources needed.

1. RISK PROGRAM MANAGEMENT (RPM):
Purpose: To provide the knowledge and skills required to develop and manage programme related to risk, emergencies and disasters. The duration of this course is 4 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Risk Management Approach
3. Work Meetings
4. Planning
5. Organization
6. Direction
7. Control
8. Ideal Characteristics of a Risk Manager

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English (English RPM Reference Materials - 653kb PDF) (English RPM Pre-Work - 300kb PDF)
2. Spanish (Spanish RPM Reference Materials - 2mb PDF)

2. DISASTER RISK REDUCTION (DRR):
Purpose: To provide concepts, information, tools, and instruments that will increase the overall understanding of the subject of Disaster Risk Management in general and the topics of Risk Reduction, Transfer, and Financing in particular. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Basic concepts of disaster risk management and development.
3. Disaster Risk Assessment
4. Disaster Risk Reduction
5. Transfer and financing disaster risk
6. Plan of action
7. Final exercise
   

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English (English DRR Reference Materials - 599kb PDF)
2. Spanish (Spanish DRR Reference Materials - 632kb PDF)

3. DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND NEEDS ANALYSIS (DANA):
Purpose: To provide participants with the knowledge and skills needed to make an initial assessment on-site of damage in the areas of health, life lines, housing and productive infrastructure; to perform a needs analysis and propose priority actions. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Risk Management Approach
3. Adverse Event Characteristics
4. Work Teams and DANA
5. Operations and Logistics
6. Data Collection Techniques
7. Information Analysis and Interpretation
8. Measuring the impact of an event
9. Establishing priorities

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English
2. Spanish
3. French
   

4. DAMAGE ASSESSMENT AND NEEDS ANALYSIS FOR DECISION MAKERS (DANADM):
Purpose: To provide knowledge & skills necessary to be able to make action decisions during an adverse event, utilizing the information generate by the local level damage assessment and need analysis. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Risk Management Approach
3. Adverse Events
4. Damage Assessment Preparation
5. Information / Decision
6. Vulnerabilities and Capacities
7. Decision making level in DANA

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish DANADM Reference Materials - 1mb PDF)

5. INITIAL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT (IDA):
Purpose: To provide individuals who have been designated to conduct initial damage assessments, with the process and techniques necessary to perform the tasks satisfactorily. The duration of this course is 2 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. National Disaster Management Programme
3. Recognizing the effects of Hazards
4. Preparing to Conduct an Initial Damage Assessment
5. Conducting an Initial Damage Assessment
   

This course is offered in the following language:

1. English (English IDA Reference Materials - 223kb PDF)

6. SHELTERS AND SHELTER MANAGEMENT (SSM):
Purpose: To provide the participants with the necessary knowledge and skills to perform the required duties for the operational management of emergency shelters. The duration of this course is 2 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Risk Management – An Introduction
3. National Program
4. The Shelter
5. Administration
6. Operations
7. Problem solving

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English (English SSM Reference Materials - 1.13mb PDF)
2. French (French SSM Reference Materials - 1.08mb PDF)
   
   

7. EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER MANAGEMENT COURSE (EOCMC):
Purpose: To provide participants with the basic knowledge and skills to adequately manage the effective organization of as well as function within an Emergency Operations Center. The duration of this course is 5 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. EOCMC System
3. Administration and EOCMC Relationship
4. EOC General Theory
5. EOC Conceptual Organization
6. Information Management
7. Operating Procedures
8. EOC Physical Layout
   

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish EOCMC Reference Materials – 2 mb PDF; Spanish EOCMC Pre-Work – 40 kb PDF).

FIRST RESPONSE

The support provided to first response institutions has been a fundamental aspect of the program. The courses presented have been developed and designed in accordance with the needs identified in the training of personnel specializing in providing immediate response during an emergency and/or disaster.

1. BASIC LIFE SUPPORT COURSE (BLSC):
Purpose: To provide participants with the knowledge and techniques necessary to correctly care for a trauma patient at the incident site, stabilize his/her condition and safely transport him/her to where medical care is to be provided. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work.Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Local Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Medical Legal Aspects (MLA) of PHC and Biosafety
3. Incident Scene Assessment and Incident Command System (ICS)
4. The Human Body
5. Patient Assessment and Simple Triage And Rapid Treatment (START) Triage Method
6. Injuries, Hemorrhage and Shock
7. Bone Injuries
   

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish BLSC Reference Materials - 4.30 mb PDF)
   
   
   

2. MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDER COURSE (MFRC):
Purpose: To provide participants with the knowledge and techniques necessary to correctly care for an injured or sick person at the incident site, stabilize his/her condition and safely transport him/her to where medical care is to be provided. The duration of this course is 11 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. EMS (Emergency Medical Service) and MFR (Medical First Responder)
3. The Incident
4. Infectious Diseases and Biosafety
5. The Human Body
6. Patient Mobilization and Transfer
7. Oxygen Therapy
8. Patient Assessment
9. OARSB (Obstruction of the Aerial Route by Strange Body) and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation)
10. Hemorrhage and Shock
11. Soft Tissue Injuries
12. Bone Trauma
13. Head, Spine and Thorax Injuries
14. Burns and Environmental Emergencies
15. Poisoning
16. Medical Emergencies I
17. Medical Emergencies II
18. Medical Emergencies III
19. Births
20. Report and Preparedness for the Next Call
21. START Triage
22. General Review
23. Final Practical Evaluation

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish MFRC Pre-Work - 3.5mb PDF) (Spanish MFRC Reference Materials - 2.2mb PDF)

3. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS FIRST RESPONSE (HAZMAT):
Purpose: To provide participants with the guidelines, knowledge, and skills necessary to recognize and identify the presence of hazardous materials and to be able to undertake the initial actions to guarantee personal safety, as well as the safety of third parties, goods and the environment. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. The Hazardous Materials Incident
3. Recognition and Identification of Hazardous Materials
4. Use of the Emergency Response Guidebook (ERG)
5. Safety and Health
6. Initial Incident Control

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. Spanish (Spanish HAZMAT Reference Materials - 1.6mb PDF) (Spanish HAZMAT Pre-Work - 1.42mb PDF)
2. Portugese

4. COLLAPSED STRUCTURE RESCUE COURSE - LIGHT LEVEL (CSRC-LL):
Purpose: To train participants in the search, location, and rescue of patients found on the surface of collapsed structures, applying the most adequate organizational structure and safest procedures for first response personnel and patients. The duration of this course is 4 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Organizing and Beginning a Response in Collapsed Structures
2. Safety Considerations
3. Building Damage Reconnaissance
4. Search and Location Strategies and the INSARAG Marking System
5. Tools, Equipment, and Accessories
6. Initial Patient Management in Collapsed Structures
7. Surface Rescue Techniques

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English (English CSRC-LL Pre-Work - 1.15mb PDF) (English CSRC-LL Reference Materials - 1.43mb PDF)
2. Spanish (Spanish CSRC-LL Pre-Work - 3.4mb PDF) (Spanish CSRC-LL Reference Materials - 1.2mb PDF)
3. French
   
   

5. COLLAPSED STRUCTURE SEARCH AND RESCUE (CSSR):
Purpose: To provide training in the techniques and skills necessary to search, locate, access, stabilize, and extract victims trapped in collapsed structures, using the most adequate and safest procedures for rescue personnel and for victims. The duration of this course is 8 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Organization and Start of a CSSR Operation
3. Constructions, Materials, Structures, and Damage
4. Structural Triage and the INSARAG Marking System
5. Safe Conditions
6. Search and Location Strategies
7. Tools, Equipment, and Accessories
8. Approach and Rescue Strategies and Techniques
9. Shoring
10. Load Lifting, Moving, and Stabilizing Techniques
11. Pre-hospital Care

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English (English CSSR Pre-Work - 1.5mb PDF)
2. Spanish (Spanish CSSR Reference Materials - 4.9mb PDF) (Spanish CSSR Pre-Work - 610kb PDF)

6. INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM – BASIC COURSE (ICS-BC):
Purpose: To provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to initiate an Incident Command System as a first responder in an incident. The duration of this course is one and a half days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. ICS Principles and Functions
3. Facilities, Resources, and Structure
4. How to Establish the ICS and How to Transfer Command

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish ICS-BC Pre-Work - 338kb PDF) (Spanish ICS-BC Reference Materials - 605kb PDF)
   
2. English
   
   
   

7. INCIDENT COMMAND SYSTEM (ICS):
Purpose: To provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to apply the Incident Command System. The duration of this course is 5 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Principles and Structure
3. Facilities
4. Resources
5. Structure Expansion and Contraction
6. Incident Plan of Action
7. Mobilization, Demobilization, and Closure

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish ICS Pre-Work - 252kb PDF) (Spanish ICS Reference Materials - 655kb PDF)

FOREST FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL

The forestry area contributes to improving the plans and programs of institutions responsible for protecting the environment as well as forest fire prevention and control.

1. FOREST FIRE PREVENTION AND CONTROL (FFPC):
Purpose: To provide participants with the knowledge and skills to assist them in improving the prevention and control of forest fires in order to protect human life and natural resources. The duration of this course is 5 days and a half of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Basic Forest Fire Concepts
3. National Forest Fire Issues
4. Causes, Evidence, and Investigation of Forest Fires
5. Fire Behavior, Part 1
6. Fire Behavior, Part 2
7. Fire Behavior, Part 3
8. Forest Fire Detection
9. Safety
10. Tools
11. Fire Control Methods
12. Establishing a Control Line
13. Extinction and Demobilization
14. Programming Techniques
15. Organization for Forest Fire Control
16. Direction and Coordination
    

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish FFPC Reference Materials - 772kb PDF)

2. BASIC FOREST FIREFIGHTER COURSE (BFFC):
Purpose: To provide participants capacity and skills to prevent, detect, organize, and control forest fires within communities, and to carry out these tasks safely. Also called Brigade Firefighter Course in some countries. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Forest Fire Issues
3. Fire and Fires
4. Importance of Forest Firefighters
5. Risks of Forest Fire Control
6. Safety
7. Tools
8. Orientation in the Field
9. Construction of the Line of Defense
10. Fire Control Techniques
11. Extinction
    

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish
   
   

3. EFFECTIVE USE OF WATER TO EXTINGUISH FOREST FIRES COURSE (EUWEFFC)
Purpose: To provide participants with knowledge and skills required to perform as an operator of pumps and accessories utilized to extinguish forest fires through the effective use of water. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Effective Use of Water General Concepts
3. Physical Aspects Involved in the Effective Use of Water
4. Strategies and Basic Safety Standards in the Use of a Water System
5. Pump Accessories
6. Water Pumps
7. Components of a Water System
8. Final Exercise

This course is offered in the following language:

1. Spanish (Spanish EUWEFFC Reference Materials – 640 kb PDF; Spanish EUWEFFC Pre-Work – 454 kb PDF).

SCHOOL & UNIVERSITY SAFETY PROGRAM

This component of the regional program promotes the development of competencies among institutions in the education sector, aimed at achieving safe schools, institutions committed to Disaster Risk Management in communities, and focused on training professionals and citizens to be capable of identifying and reducing risks in their environment and of responding to adverse events, as well as collaborating in recovery activities.

1. SCHOOL SAFETY COURSE (SSC):
Purpose: To provide participants with the knowledge and techniques that will enable the promotion, design, development, evaluation, and systematization of safety plans in schools. The duration of this course is 3 days of intensive work. Course contents include the following materials:

1. Introduction
2. Risks and Resources
3. Fundamentals of Risk Management
4. School Safety Plan
5. School Emergency Management Plan
6. Table Top/Simulation Exercise and Drills
7. Review

This course is offered in the following languages:

1. English (English SSC Pre-Work - 501kb PDF)
2. Spanish (Spanish SSC Pre-Work - 306kb PDF) (Spanish SSC Reference Materials - 1.15mb PDF)
3. French

For more information, please contact: ofdalac@ofda.gov.

To view the RDAP Training Portfolio in PDF format, click here (53kb PDF).

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