The Barbados Defence Force and Pan American Health Organization Medical Synergy Facilitates Type 1 Field Medical Training
BDF Media Release | 31 AUG 18
Photography credit: Lt S Gollop
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) in collaboration with the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) conducts a Field Facility Training Course. The course hosted by the BDF will be facilitated by PAHO representatives, Colonel (ret’ d) Dr Gustavo Alonso, Dr Sasha Peiris and Dr Dana Van Alphen.
The Type 1 Field Medical training hinges on the Government of Barbados’ policy, whereby, national agencies and resources must be able to mount a self-help response for the first 72 – 96 hours during and following a disaster. The course aims at enhancing the BDF’s and its inter-agency partners, the RSS, CDEMA and the DEM, roles in the context of disaster response surge capacity.
This will enable PAHO and other medical related partners to lend support during a disaster where either the main health facilities are not fully functional, or if there is a need to increase medical capacity at the main health facility or to deploy in areas which do not have easy access to the main health facility.
The course caters to both medical and non-medical personnel.
Personnel from the Barbados Regiment and the Barbados Coast Guard listening attentively.
Commodore (Cdre) Errington Ricardo Shurland was appointed Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 1 September 2021. He enlisted in the BDF in February 1984 and in a military career spanning over 34 years, has served in various operational and administrative appointments.
Colonel Glyne Grannum joined the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 18 October 1985 and underwent career development training at the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School, Chilliwack and the Combat Training Centre, Gagetown New Brunswick, Canada. He subsequently attended the Infantry Training Centre and the Signal Wing in Warminster, UK (PCBC and RSO Courses respectively), the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy; the Lester Pearson Canadian Peacekeeping Centre, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Kingston, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, the National Defence University of the People’s Liberation Army People’s Republic of China and the Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies, National Defence University, Washington. He also attended a Defence Resources Management programme at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Canada. In addition to being a qualified infantry officer, Col Grannum is a qualified Regimental Signals Officer and a former Operations Officer and Finance Officer of the BDF.
Colonel Banfield joined the Barbados Battalion of the South Caribbean Force in 1941 having just left the Cadet Corps at Combermere School, and was granted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He was a Platoon Commander and a Company Commander during the war and served in Barbados, Dominica (as part of the Gale Force), St Lucia and St Vincent.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall is a graduate of the St Michael, and was born on the 5 November 1969 and enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force on 16 August 1994. He was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal in August 1997, Corporal in 1999, Sergeant in 2007, Color Sergeant in 2014, Warrant Officer Class Two in 2017 and Warrant Officer Class One in 2020. He was Most Outstanding Student on Junior Leadership Course in 1998, the Most Outstanding Student on Junior Non Commissioned Officer Cadre in Jamaica in 2000, best at Leadership on the Search Adviser Course in Jamaica in 2007 and the Most Outstanding Student on the Warrant Officer Course in Jamaica in 2015.
