Australian training opportunities

In a bid to strengthen the work of law enforcement in technical and humanitarian responses, a meeting was held with the RedR Australia Regional team to look at how the two organisations can collaborate on specialized training aimed at benefiting both Fiji and the region.

RedR Australia is the implementing partner of the Australia Assists program which is the Australian Government's humanitarian civilian deployment program.

RedR is a leading international humanitarian response agency that selects, trains and deploys technical specialists.

The purpose of today’s meeting was to formally introduce RedR Australia and the type of work the organization does in the Pacific and globally.

Discussions were also held on identifying and training trainers for quality humanitarian responses and the potential engagement with the Emergency Casualty Care/Tactical Response Emergency Team (First Responders) within the Fiji Police Force.

In attendance were Mr Warren Johnston, RedR HEAT Training Coordinator as well as the Pacific Regional Coordinator Mr Penaia Kautia who met with the FPF’s Manager Regional Foreign Cooperation Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Ulaiasi Tamanisau, and Inspector (IP) Marica Veibete, IP George Mar and IP Saimoni Bebenisala.

ASP Tamanisau while conveying the Fiji Police’s appreciation to the RedR representatives said, “The Commissioner of Police is fully supportive of all opportunities available to train Fijian officers who will then share the knowledge gained to our regional law enforcement partners under the Pacific Centre of Law Enforcement Cooperation regional body”.

Mr Warren Johnston said, “RedR is not about telling you what to do, where we put you in a room for the entire duration of the training but rather we are experience-based learning where you put your skills and newly acquired knowledge into practice”.

An Essentials of Humanitarian Practice (EHP) Training facilitated by RedR is expected to be conducted in September in Nadi.