With the HLF R/NK tW project – Open University for Control Centres, Fire Services and Emergency Medical Services – Ostfalia’s Faculty of Health Sciences is expanding its commitment to part-time continuing professional development. The aim is to develop and (partially) trial a flexible, modular, transdisciplinary continuing professional development programme. This is aimed at emergency response personnel from control centres, fire services and ambulance services, and is designed to facilitate the transition from the workplace to higher education. At the same time, it addresses the socially highly relevant field of emergency care and disaster management.
The Ostfalia researchers Prof. Dr Ilka Benner, Prof. Dr Melanie Lietz and Prof. Dr Sandra Tschupke are working closely with partners from the field. Those involved include the Centre for Emergency and Intensive Care Medicine Education, the Interdisciplinary Unit for Emergency and Disaster Management at Hannover Medical School, and the Fire and Disaster Management Department of the City of Wolfsburg.
For emergency personnel from control centres, fire brigades and ambulance services
Six modules are being developed as part of the project:
- Community paramedics in the context of low-code operations
- Paediatric emergencies in pre-hospital care
- Advanced pre-clinical practice
- Operational incident management in the context of major incidents
- Operational incident management in the context of CBRN incidents
- Practical guidance on hazard prevention/fire service
The research and development project runs from 1 June 2026 to 31 December 2028 and is developing transdisciplinary continuing professional development programmes for emergency care and civil protection. Funding is provided through the NBank’s ‘Opening Up Universities’ programme, using funds from the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the State of Lower Saxony.
