When deploying teams to hostile, remote, or challenging environments, your duty of care goes beyond logistics.

Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT)

Whether facing security challenges, natural hazards, or significant cultural and legal differences, Sigma7's Hostile Environment Awareness Training (HEAT) empowers individuals with resilience and preparedness. Building these critical capabilities allows your organization to confidently and effectively operate in high-risk settings.

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Key Features of Sigma7 HEAT Training

Our HEAT course offers a comprehensive blend of immersive environments, tailored simulations, and cutting-edge virtual tools, designed to equip your team with the skills and confidence needed to navigate the most challenging and high-risk scenarios effectively.

  • 01.
    Immersive Outdoor HEAT Facilities

    Our purpose-built facilities in Virginia span an expansive 85-acre simulated training environment, as well as a modern, indoor adult-learning space which can accommodate up to 30 participants. Together they provide realistic and immersive environments for simulations of working and reacting to incidents in refugee camps, local villages, UN or military bases, and militia checkpoints. They also provide spaces to exercise responses to armed aggressors, in both indoor and outdoor spaces. These settings provide hands-on experience to help participants build confidence in managing challenging and unpredictable situations.

  • 02.
    Organization-Specific On-Site HEAT Course

    With experience training over 6,000 participants in 75 countries, our programs are adaptable to your organization's unique needs. Delivered on-site, our HEAT course seamlessly integrate into your operations, reflecting specific risks and environments relevant to your teams.

  • 03.
    Virtual and eLearning HEAT Courses

    As the only HEAT certification provider offering virtual training, we integrate video games, eLearning modules, and online content into our programs. This ensures accessibility and flexibility for organizations with global teams or diverse operational needs.

Why Sigma7 for HEAT?

With nearly 50 years of combined expertise, we have provided in-country security risk management for many multi-sector organizations, and we have served as embedded security managers for international NGOs, delivering multi-year aid and development programs in regions like South and South-Central Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and MENA.

We continue to deliver Partner Liaison Security Operations in South Sudan, as a prime contractor to USAID (DoS), and our field consulting and training teams have operated in over 30 high-risk countries across South Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and South and Central America. We don’t just teach resilience and security - we have lived it. We ensure that our training spaces are safe and inclusive, and that our insights are relevant, actionable, and informed by real-world challenges.

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  • "For our teams at Oxfam who travel and work overseas, and often in hostile environments affected by conflicts or humanitarian crisis events, it is extremely important that highly professional personal safety and security management training is provided; and Sigma7 has always been our primary choice for providing HEAT courses. The course that they provides is an excellent service due to its very friendly and well-prepared security trainers, as well as their excellent training facilities."

    Mario Martinez
    Global Safety/Travel & Security Advisor
    @OXFAM America

    01 / 05

  • "Sigma7 is a quality training provider that constantly works to ensure lesson delivery is fit for those who operate in the humanitarian sector. Their courses, including HEAT and Female Safety and Security Awareness, have been met with high praise from within our team. I recommend Sigma7 to others in humanitarian or development sectors."

    Nathan Mathew
    Humanitarian Response and Preparedness Specialist
    @Save the Children US

    02 / 05

  • "The AFSC found Sigma7's three-day, level 5 HEAT course to be well-organized, very informative, and practical. The instructors and staff were knowledgable and committed to ensuring that all participants were learning, even if it meant re-visiting a scenario or taking additional time to discuss how a situation unfolded."

    Lisa Oliveri, CPP
    Director of Security
    @American Friends Service Committee

    03 / 05

  • "I think the course was excellent for someone like me frequently traveling to high risk countries for work and working to ensure staff safety and security. The practical exercises and simulations which were almost real were very useful in offering 'hands on' experience. In general, the course was very well-organized and implemented. Highly recommended to people who travels to high risk countries and to security officers."

    Zia Ziaudding
    Field Operations Officer
    @World Learning

    04 / 05

  • "The Sigma7 HEAT was first-class and reflected the unique needs of Lutheran World Relief and the realities of the insecure environments in which we operate. The training provided effective content and a truly immersive learning experience."

    Umer Khan
    Senior Director, Emergency Operations
    @Lutheran World Relief

    05 / 05

What You’ll Learn in Our HEAT Course

HEAT exposes participants to realistic and high-pressure scenarios, simulating life-threatening settings to test and improve their responses. Combining theoretical knowledge with practical simulations, our training prepares individuals to navigate security incidents in hostile environments such as:
  • Active conflict Zones
  • Disaster-prone and Humanitarian Emergency settings
  • Remote or otherwise austere locations
  • High-crime or otherwise high-risk areas
Our intensive yet practical curriculum is based on real-world experience and aligned with ISO 31030 Travel Risk Management Standards, ensuring your teams are prepared to travel and operate in high-risk environments safely and effectively.

Click to READ how our HEAT course has helped save lives. 

What Sets Sigma7 HEAT Apart?

  • Aligned with ISO 31030 for Travel Risk Management

    Ensure your team’s training aligns with the highest global travel safety and risk management standards.

  • City and Guilds Assured Certification

    Participants earn recognized certifications demonstrating their preparedness and expertise in high-risk environments.

  • Institute of Leadership Management (ILM) Approved Training Center

    As an ILM-approved center, we deliver leadership-focused training to equip teams with practical and strategic resilience skills.

  • 40+ Online Micro-Learning Modules

    Our comprehensive library of bite-sized learning modules supports ongoing skill development and knowledge retention beyond the initial training.

Armed Aggressor Response as Part of HEAT

Included in our comprehensive HEAT course is specialized training on Armed Aggressor Response, which better enables participants to react effectively in situations of sudden, targeted violence or 'active-shooter' events. Simulating realistic scenarios and testing individual behaviors ensures that participants are better prepared to act decisively and minimize exposure during these types of incidents.

Transform Your Approach to High-Risk Operations

Sigma7's HEAT course combines immersive environments, practical simulations, and cutting-edge learning tools to deliver a world-class training experience. Whether virtual or in-person, our training builds the resilience, confidence, and preparedness your teams need to operate effectively in hostile or unpredictable settings.

Contact Sigma7 today to learn how our HEAT course can support your organization and enhance your team's ability to navigate high-risk environments.
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