With a background in Emergency Medicine, the Medical Officer is responsible for maintaining the health of SPEAR team members during deployment. The Medical Officer manages the team’s medical interventions, assesses potential threats to their health, and liaises with local medical workers and agencies.
Primary link to military and security agencies, the Safety & Security Officer is in charge of the team’s forward deployments in high threat environments. Expert in threat assessment and response with prior experience in the armed services, the Safety & Security Officer assesses and reports all risks to the safety of the team in the target community.
Setting up and maintaining the SPEAR team’s shelter, WatSAN, and power supply fall under the scope of the Engineering Officer. They manage related interventions in addition to measuring and reporting damage to local infrastructure. The Engineering Officer liaises with agencies regarding infrastructure, planning, and WatSAN.
The Logistics & Transport Officer manages transport and housing of SPEAR team members. Responsible for team equipment, the officer handles the set-up of air payloads, sling loading, and LZ relief assets. Other responsibilities include assessing damage to local transport infrastructure, administrative procedures related to the team deployment, and supply procedures. Logistics & Transport Officer communicates with all agencies regarding team movements in the area of operations.
Establishing and maintaining SPEAR team communications during deployment is the primary duty of the Communications Officer. The Communications Officer is in charge of transporting, manning and maintaining all SPEAR team communications and drone equipment. Managing all administrative procedures related to the team communications such as permits and call signs, the Communications Officer evaluates and reports damage to local communications equipment.
Acting as SPEAR team’s spokesperson during deployment, the Spokesperson manages all interpretation and translation procedures. Capable of communicating in the required or native language in the area of operations, the Spokesperson coordinates with all community key spokespersons, relief authorities and partners, in addition to gathering intelligence necessary for the mission objectives.
The Team Leader also serves as Mission Commander when multiple units deploy concurrently and may be sourced from any of the above officers. The Team Leader is in charge of preserving the safety & security of the team and accomplishing the mission objective. The Team Leader communicates with all stakeholders, provides support to the team members, and disseminates lateral tell from team members to operational partners and SPEAR HQ.
Functioning as the “eyes in the sky”, the Overwatch Officer maintains a 24/7 satellite overwatch of the team, as well as 24/7 voice communication with the team during deployment. Expert navigator, the Overwatch Officer is in charge of disseminating intel from the team and relaying it to official channels and operational partners. The Overwatch Officer also produces operational maps and reporting, and functions as a liaison between the Team Leader and relief authorities.