Operation PACE: Building Readiness Where It Matters Most

For one week in June, two teams of REACT Responders travelled across Ukraine delivering trauma and incident management training to people living and working with the daily realities of war.

Working alongside the Ukrainian Education Platform (UEP) and local partners, the teams trained more than 120 people across six locations, equipping them with practical skills to respond in the critical moments after an incident. Participants included psychologists, social workers, teachers, journalists, healthcare professionals, charity workers, demining specialists, telecommunications engineers and community volunteers.

But Operation PACE is about far more than training numbers. It is about confidence, preparedness and ensuring that when the worst happens, someone nearby knows what to do.

In Dnipro, psychologist Vladislava reflected on previous emergencies where fear had prevented her from helping.

"I have come across incidents before when I have been scared and not able to help because I didn't know how and I froze. With this training, I will still be scared but I will feel confident to help because now I know what I'm doing."

The reality facing many communities is stark. Air raid alarms are part of everyday life. Attacks continue to affect cities far from the frontline. In some areas, emergency services can be delayed and evacuation can take time. When that happens, the person standing next to the casualty often becomes the first responder.

Operation PACE was designed for precisely those circumstances.

Alongside practical trauma training, every participant received medical equipment including tourniquets, trauma dressings and bandages, ensuring that skills learned in the classroom can be applied if needed in the future.

One of the strongest themes to emerge during the deployment was the multiplier effect of the training. Many participants already support others through their professional roles. By equipping psychologists, social workers, teachers, journalists, demining teams and community organisations, the impact extends far beyond the individuals in the room.

As documentary photographer Lewis Inman observed:

"The people I interviewed spoke passionately about passing these skills on, creating a ripple effect that strengthens communities and builds resilience."

Four years after the start of the full-scale invasion, many Ukrainians living in areas affected by regular attacks still report having received little or no emergency medical training. For REACT Responders, that reinforced the importance of the mission.

The goal of Operation PACE is simple: leave behind more people who are ready to act, more communities with the skills to respond, and more lives that may one day be saved because someone knew what to do.