Study on the Effectiveness of HEFAT Program by 2402 Foundation — Results!

HEFAT (Hostile Environment First Aid Training) is an educational program that prepares journalists to work in hostile environments, particularly in conflict zones. The trainings, developed by 2402 Foundation, take into account the challenges faced by media professionals during the full-scale invasion.

The study, conducted by independent researcher Hanna Hrytsenko from August to September 2024, aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of HEFAT trainings. Special attention was paid to participant satisfaction levels, final knowledge assessment, and how the skills and knowledge became part of graduates’ daily lives.

Key study findings:

• Some journalists noted that as a result of the training, they began carrying individual first aid kits and sharing safety knowledge with colleagues and family members.
• Participants highly valued the usefulness of HEFAT training — between 45% and 97% of respondents marked “very useful” for each individual training component. Overall satisfaction with the program was rated at 9.94 out of 10 points.
• Course graduates actively apply their acquired first aid and tactical medicine skills in their work. An important confirmation of the training’s effectiveness was an incident at the frontline, where a training participant saved a wounded person’s life using the under-fire assistance skills obtained during HEFAT training.
• Participants note that they became more confident, have better self-control while working in dangerous conditions, and cope more effectively with psychological pressure.
• 73% of graduates believe it is necessary to take a responsible approach to safety, more thoroughly assess risks, and better prepare for trips to the combat zone. Participants note that after completing the course, they began regularly analyzing potential threats before each assignment.
• Participants emphasized the importance of localizing the course for Ukraine’s needs. The trainings included realistic scenarios for working under shelling conditions, mine hazards, and psychological pressure, which significantly improved the training effectiveness compared to other training programs.

«Interview respondents were asked about their reason for choosing this particular training, and they pointed out the special adaptation of content to local professional needs compared to some other trainings that are based on conflicts with different patterns and other risk factors, and with poorer material support.» — Hanna Hrytsenko, independent researcher

Click the link to view the complete study results:

Read the study

Conclusions and Next Steps

The study confirmed the effectiveness of HEFAT trainings by 2402 Foundation, showing that they contribute to improving journalists’ safety, their readiness to work in high-risk conditions, and enhance the skills necessary for working in combat zones. Further program development will include incorporating participant feedback, expanding components related to mental resilience and stress management, and adapting training content to the changing conditions of the full-scale invasion.