January 2009 issue
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Feature
Adrenalin Plus
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IN THE FIELD — AFGHANISTAN STYLE |
Overseas adventures like you’ve rarely imagined are part-and-parcel for the trained humanitarian volunteers of RedR
BY AARON JANZEN, E.I.T.
RedR Volunteer
When a masked person yanks you out of a vehicle asks for your wallet, “adrenalin kicks in” — even in a training exercise. “You want to do something heroic, but you know that your life is not worth your wallet,” Will Bailie, P.Eng., recalls from his RedR training course.
“It doesn’t matter if you know you’re in New Zealand and that the big guy behind the mask is a friendly Maori mate — you get the same reaction you would if it was a real hold up.”
Mr. Bailie was working in New Zealand for an engineering consultancy when he took his first RedR course. He returned to Calgary to work with AECOM’s municipal infrastructure group, determined to help RedR Canada grow into an active organization more like what he experienced Down Under.
RedR Canada was formed in 2002. Some APEGGA members will remember a lunch presentation by Dave Chalcroft, P.Eng., a past APEGGA president, on the potential engineers could unleash by working to alleviate suffering in disasters.
Mr. Chalcroft has since handed over the position of RedR chair to David Myers. His passion for the group remains strong — Mr. Chalcroft still believes that “RedR Canada is the avenue for Canadian engineers to make a contribution to disaster relief around the world.”
Indeed, RedR has its own niche. Humanitarian organizations such as Engineers Without Borders and the Centre for Affordable Water and Sanitation Technology focus on long-term development, technology transfer and training of trainers. RedR’s work, however, is all about providing quick responses in emergency and disaster situations, making it more like Doctors Without Borders.
RedR was started in the 1980s in the U.K. and is short for Register of Engineers for Disaster Relief. The first major disaster it sent members to was the Ethiopian famine. Since then it has placed members in countries such as Bosnia, Rwanda and Afghanistan.
RedR exists to match trained and experienced personnel to relief agencies. Placements usually last six months to two years, with expenses and salary paid for by the host organization.
Getting involved with RedR “starts with taking training programs to prepare for the rigors and challenges that disaster zones will invariably present,” says Mr. Chalcroft. Thanks to Mr. Bailie’s determination, three RedR courses will be offered in Western Canada for the first time ever.
Two foundational courses are usually required in order for someone to be eligible for the RedR register. Essentials of Humanitarian Practice and Personal Security & Communications offer a taste of what it takes to work in the humanitarian field.
Instructor Kelly Flynn says the foundational courses are designed to “provide an interested trainee with an opportunity for thorough introductions to theories of practice with a solid follow-up on practical application.”
Why take these courses when there are so many other ways to spend your time and money? Ms. Flynn’s background, for one.
She’s no stranger to the material she will be teaching. She has an MA in human security and peacebuilding from Royal Roads University. In the last year alone Ms. Flynn has been to Kenya, Yemen, Burundi and Sri Lanka to provide training workshops on internally displaced persons and refugee camp management.
Ms. Flynn says that RedR’s foundational courses “inspire and excite people about development and humanitarian work, while grounding people in the truly needed sensibilities and awareness required for working effectively and safely in a quickly changing world.”
The courses are meant to prepare trainees for the many possibilities of overseas work — and, just as important, to inspire them to take the next steps if the fit is right. Think of this as an investment in your professionalism, as both an APEGGA member and a broader member of society. You gain another set of skills that can be applied in Canada and abroad.
Engineers have technical skills to offer in disaster areas everywhere. And who knows — getting involved could add some real excitement to your life. Picture yourself riding in a convoy as it careens across the dusty plain, delivering relief supplies and expertise in some obscure corner of the world.
If that or something like it appeals to you, you should consider joining the RedR team.
Aaron Janzen, E.I.T., currently works for Alberta Environment in Calgary as a municipal approvals coordinator. From travel and volunteer stints in southeast and central Asia, he’s developed an active interest in the how Canadian engineers can get involved in developing countries through RedR Canada and other organizations.
UPCOMING COURSES
Introduction to Refugee and Internally Displaced Persons Camp Management
Friday, Jan. 30, to Sunday, Feb. 1
Rocky Mountain College, Calgary
$500
Essentials of Humanitarian Practice
This foundation course will help you understand the characteristics of natural disasters and conflict-induced emergencies, and the requirements for an effective humanitarian response.
Monday, April 25, to Friday, April 29
Scouts Canada Camp Gardner, Calgary
$1,250
Personal Security & Communications
This foundation course introduces the basic concepts and principles underlying managing personal security, including adopting appropriate strategies, communication technology, and developing security plans and procedures.
Friday, May 1, to Monday, May 4
Scouts Canada Camp Gardner, Calgary
$1,000
COURSE REGISTRATION & FURTHER INFO
Visit www.redr.ca
Contact Cliff Wiebe
Ph. 403-275-0528
Interested in becoming a member of RedR Canada or applying to be on its register?
E-mail info@redr.ca
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