Hostile Environment and First Aid Training

Crisis Ready Media, Hostile Environment and First Aid Training

The Hostile Environment and First Aid Training (HEFAT) course is an intensive, five day program designed to prepare journalists and media professionals for assignments the high-risk and hazardous environments we face everyday, in the United States and around the world. Combining classroom instruction with immersive, scenario-based field exercises, the course covers core topics including situational awareness, conflict zone navigation, trauma first aid, detention survival, digital security, and psychological resilience. Participants learn to recognize threats, respond to emergencies, and operate safely in volatile settings, all while maintaining journalistic integrity and mission focus. The curriculum is guided by international safety standards and tailored to the unique challenges faced by journalists working globally.

Topics Covered in the Global HEFAT Curriculum:

• Situational awareness and risk assessment
• Operating in conflict zones and non-permissive environments
• Tactical movement and cover techniques
• Kidnap avoidance and detention survival
• Trauma first aid and emergency casualty care (including Stop the Bleed)
• Managing injuries: fractures, burns, blast trauma, and concussions
• Mental wellness and stress management in high-risk settings
• Digital security and communications in hostile environments
• Navigation and field movement without GPS
• Dealing with checkpoints, border crossings, and hostile actors
• Working in the aftermath of natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes, hurricanes, floods)
• Vehicle safety and ambush survival
• Crowd dynamics and civil unrest response
• Gender-specific risks and field safety for women journalists
• Ethical and legal considerations in conflict reporting
• Resilience, debriefing, and peer support after trauma

This course is essential for journalists working both domestically and abroad because it provides the critical skills needed to navigate today’s increasingly unpredictable and high-risk reporting environments. Whether covering conflict zones, natural disasters, civil unrest, or public health crises, journalists face real physical, psychological, and digital threats. The Global HEFAT course equips them with the knowledge, confidence, and practical tools to stay safe, make informed decisions under pressure, and continue reporting with integrity and resilience.

Your $1,700 tax deductible contribution covers all expenses associated with the HEFAT course, ensuring a fully inclusive and immersive training experience. This fee includes comprehensive instruction led by expert trainers, hands-on field exercises, comfortable lodging for the duration of the course, and all meals provided on-site. Participants can focus entirely on building critical safety and survival skills without the worry of additional costs or logistics.

During the course of this training, participants should be aware that pyrotechnics and other realistic simulators may be used to enhance the authenticity and effectiveness of the learning experience. These elements are carefully controlled and designed to replicate the stress and confusion of hostile environments in a safe, instructional setting. The training will be rigorous, both mentally and physically, and participants are strongly encouraged to engage fully within their personal comfort levels and physical abilities. Our instructors are committed to supporting each individual’s learning while ensuring safety and respect throughout the training.

The training will be held in Frederick, Maryland. A shuttle bus will be provided from Dullas Airport the evening prior to the start of training.

Info: Covers mission planning, health prep, gear checks, and security assessments using the PETE method (People, Environment, Task, Equipment). Encourages deliberate preparation.

Info: Provides instructions on building evacuation routes, identifying checkpoint hazards, and using low-profile navigation strategies in domestic and international settings.

Info: Introduces situational awareness models like OODA Loop, Left of Bang, and threat

mapping. Teaches how to identify evolving threats and adapt in real time.

Info: Offers best practices for identifying danger signs, responding to an active shooter

threat, and coordinating with team members while minimizing exposure.

Info: Analyzes recent case studies to prepare journalists for mass casualty events.

Covers safety positioning, movement tactics, and psychological aftercare.

Info: Reviews dynamics of protests, including transitions to riot situations. Covers

situational awareness, gear selection, legal considerations, and de-escalation

strategies.

Info: Details the function, deployment, and indicators of explosive threats. Teaches

hazard zones, cover/concealment, and behavioral responses.

Info: Instructs on tactical movement in urban and rural environments, use of

cover/concealment, and blending in with local populations to reduce visibility as a

target.

Info: Prepares journalists to cover events like earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, and

wildfires. Discusses hazards, first aid implications, and survival planning.

Info: Teaches survival mindset, compliance strategies, and psychological endurance

during captivity. Emphasizes behaviors that increase the chance of survival and

recovery.

Info: Examines how gender identity, expression, and perceived affiliation can increase

risk. Discusses mitigation strategies and personal boundary setting.

Info: Reviews types of gear used in hostile environments. Discusses selection, fit,

limitations, and the ethical implications of using PRESS-marked equipment.

Info: Provides a macro-level understanding of geopolitical risks, regional conflict zones,

and how to assess the evolving threat landscape for journalism assignments.

Info: Introduces communication strategies to defuse confrontation. Incorporates the

Four Animal Model to assess conflict behavior and guide safe interaction.

Info: Introduces a three-phase model to support peers experiencing acute psychological stress. Emphasizes empathy, protection from further harm, and connection to long-term support.

Info: Explores the nature and signs of PTSD, its effects on journalists, and how to

recognize, address, and support mental health in newsrooms and field teams.

Info: Provides strategies for building personal resilience, coping with trauma, and

managing long-term stress associated with high-risk journalism.

Info: Covers recognition and management of chest wounds, including open

pneumothorax, tension pneumothorax, and compromised airways. Emphasizes

life-saving interventions like seal application and airway positioning.

Info: Introduces basic CPR techniques, use of AEDs in the field, and rapid recognition of

shock symptoms. Addresses circulatory collapse and basic field interventions to

stabilize patients.

Info: Discusses the field management of traumatic injuries, including splinting fractures, treating burns, responding to blast injuries, and assessing concussions.

Info: Outlines best practices for personal hygiene and disease prevention in the field,

including hand hygiene, waste management, and strategies to reduce exposure to pathogens.

Info: Teaches environmental cleanliness and water/food safety techniques to prevent

illness and maintain operational capacity in austere environments.

Info: Breaks down IFAK components, proper packing, and how to rapidly deploy tools for hemorrhage control, airway support, and basic trauma care.

Info: Addresses wound patterns and first aid strategies related to mortars, rockets,

grenades, and other indirect fire sources. Introduces blast injury triage priorities.

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