WRO improves best practice in emergencies
Published: 01 September, 2008
The impact of a car crash goes much further than the initial collision, and the fight to save lives continues after the event, writes Carol Debell. The WRO is dedicated to increasing the standards in RTC training, incident management and medical care internationally.
Every day over 3,000 people across the world lose their lives as a result of road traffic collisions. Many of those lives could be saved if emergency responders attending the incident were better equipped and trained. The World Rescue Organisation is dedicated to disseminating best practice in rescue techniques, incident management and medical care for the victims of road collisions.
The WRO is a registered charity in the UK and draws on the experience of its regional members to develop national rescue organisations. UKRO, the United Kingdom Rescue Organisation, was a founder member of the WRO and operates the organisation’s International Development Programme (IDP).
The head of IDP is Cameron Black, a serving officer with Strathclyde Fire & Rescue service in Scotland and WRO Secretary. He explains that the IDP provides a platform for rescue personnel across the world to share and advance rescue science and technology. As Cameron says, the challenge to prevent road death and injury does not end with the collision. “We know that the fight to save lives and reduce injuries continues following the accident and into the days and weeks beyond. In too many countries road safety strategies are still based on prevention alone. The IDP’s mission is to encourage people to focus on the benefits of enhancing or developing effective pre-hospital care systems.”
Ghana is one country that has benefited from the IDP’s work. Every year 1,500 people are killed on Ghana’s roads. The vehicle fleet is generally in a poor state and entrapment is a common occurrence and many people were dying because of the severe shortage of necessary rescue skills and adequate rescue equipment. Over the last few years UKRO has sent five training missions to Ghana with personnel and equipment being provided by fire services from Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Leicestershire, South Yorkshire, South Wales, Tyne and Wear and Strathclyde. Cameron Black says that this level of activity would not be possible were it not for the dedication and skills of those involved and the support they receive from their own service and the UK Fire and Rescue Service as a whole. And there have been gifts in kind with Tyne and Wear FS donating a number of hydraulic rescue sets and Leicestershire FS donating 100 sets of Holmatro hydraulic rescue equipment. These donations have enabled each fire appliance in the Ghana National Fire Service to be equipped with at least one set.
The IDP is also working in the Russian Federation, Spain, Poland, Republic of Ireland, Hungary, Germany and Luxembourg and has received requests from a number of other countries.
The WRO works closely with number of organisations involved in road safety such as the World Health Organisation where the WRO is represented on the Trauma and Emergency Care Services (TECS) advisory group. Another key partner is the Global Road Safety Partnership (GRSP) and in many countries the WRO’s contribution now complements the GRSP’s RTC reduction strategies.
