The Access Group, to which the FPSC belongs, organizes the II Interagency Training on Safety

Last 6 November, some of the people and organizations that make up the Access Group¹, to which the FPSC belongs, organized the II Interactive Security Training, to prepare its personnel who work or move on the field.

This interagency training on security, inspired by humanitarian principles, acceptance, security risk management and secure access, was carried out at the “Acción Contra el Hambre” facilities in Madrid.

The training was given by Gonzalo de Palacios (Consultant and Security Adviser to the AECID), María Fuentenebro, ACH Security Officer, Alicia Fernández, Caritas Spain Security Officer, Angelo Pirola, Médicos del Mundo Safety Officer, and Fernando Mazarro, Head of Security at FPSC. All of them, together with the Spanish Red Cross, Intermón-Oxfam and MPDL make up the Access Group (Security) of CONGDE.

The course was attended by 17 participants from different NGOs and representatives of IECAH;  they were trained in International Humanitarian Law, Security, Incidents and action measures in specific cases, such as facing a check point, robbery with violence, sexual assault, kidnapping… The course ended with a practice in which one-third of the students acted as a kidnapper, a second third as a kidnapped and the last third as an Observer, in order to evaluate behaviours in case of hostage-taking.

Fernando Mazarro, Security Officer of the FPSC, advised the Group of Kidnappers, to act credibly and appropriately.

In addition, within the framework of this training, CONGDE, on the occasion of its 30th Anniversary, granted the Funambulistas prize to the “Access Group”.

In the attached photograph (from left to right): Gonzalo de Palacios, former Head of Security of Acción contra el Hambre and private consultant (currently responsible for the AECID Security Plan); Alicia Fernández, Head of Security in Spanish Caritas; Fernando Mazarro, Security Officer of the FPSC; Angelo Pirola, Head of Safety of Médicos del Mundo, and Maria Fuentenebro, Head of Security of Acción Contra el Hambre.

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¹The Access Group is an informal working group made up of members of entities whose purpose is secure humanitarian access and by individual professionals who have experience in this area.