Improving Trauma Care Worldwide

Become a Chapter or Training Centre

All Chapters and Training Centres must be sponsored or managed by established organizations. Individuals may not apply for Chapter or Training Centre designation.

Chapters and Training Centres become recognized upon application and approval by the ITLS Board of Directors. The Board of Directors may grant a charter to a not-for-profit organization or governmental agency which has applied to become the ITLS Chapter. ITLS Training Centres are typically proprietary organizations that do not meet the requirements for Chapter status.

Find out more about the difference at the bottom of this page.

ITLS staff and its Global Development Committee review all applications for Chapter and Training Centre status.

Resource to read: Becoming a Chapter or Training Centre (printable PDF)

To become an ITLS Chapter or Training Centre, an applicant must:

  • Submit a complete Chapter or Training Centre application;
  • Submit CVs for the intended Chapter or Training Centre coordinator and medical director;
  • Submit a letter of support from the sponsoring organization;
  • Have a core group of certified ITLS instructors;
  • Submit a completed Chapter or Training Centre Policy and Procedure Manual
  • Following review by staff and the Global Development Committee, the applicant will have a site visit by one or more ITLS-designated representatives, usually a member of the Board of Directors and/or Executive Director. Expenses for the site visit are the responsibility of the applicant. Prior to scheduling a site visit, the applicant must sign an ITLS Host Agreement.
  • The report of the site visit is reviewed by the Global Development Committee and a recommendation for approval, non-approval, or additional action is made to the ITLS Board of Directors.
  • Final approval of the Chapter or Training Centre application will be considered by the Board following the successful site visit.
  • Upon Chapter or Training Centre approval, a Chapter/Training Centre Charter is to be signed by the applicant.

Review specific application process requirements
Download ITLS Chapter Application
Download ITLS Training Centre Application

Chapters vs. Training Centres

Chapters
ITLS will consider applications for chapter status from not-for-profit (voluntary) organizations, non-governmental organizations (NGO) and governmental agencies, including branches of the military.

An ITLS Chapter is responsible for the administration of the ITLS programs, including the issuance of cards and certificates, collection and remittance of fees, reporting to ITLS International and representation at the annual ITLS International Congress (delegate organization). ITLS Chapters are also responsible for promoting and encouraging the development of new ITLS courses and course coordinators in their area. Each Chapter is required to have a Chapter Coordinator and Chapter Medical Director.

Training Centres
Designation as an ITLS Training Centre is available as an alternative for organizations that do not qualify or do not choose to become an ITLS Chapter.

These are usually intended for EMS agencies or proprietary organizations that solely wish to train their own personnel or clients in ITLS, organizations that do not wish to assume the administrative responsibilities of an ITLS chapter, or organizations that plan to train a small number of ITLS students each year. Each Training Centre is required to have a Training Centre Coordinator and Training Centre Medical Director.