Fergus will teach you invaluable tips on swift water rescue and how to swim in and swim out of swift water. Special operations are inherently dangerous and serious injury or fatality may result from improper performance of these techniques. Course objectives the overall objective of this course is to enhance the safety of the first responders at water rescue incidents by increasing their knowlegde of the hazards of water rescue and the techniques and. The order of water rescue from low risk to high risk willbe. Refer to current training manuals and your department policies for detailed explanations. As always, though, dont expect it to substitute for field work and safety sense. According to deputy chief boynton, after two failed attempts using cold water immersion suits that nearly drowned two of our personnel, we adapted and managed to. Swift water rescue also called white water rescue is a subset of technical rescue dealing in white water river conditions. Three keys to swiftwater boat rescue absolute rescue. Emphasis is placed both on personal safety and on simple, commonly used skills. Rivers are incredibly dynamic environments with an unlimited supply of hazards that can change a seemingly uneventful rescue sequence into a nightmare.
Military special forces as well as the public service and recreational sectors, ssi utilizes innovative techniques and integrative scenarios to allow our team of instructors to train professional rescue agencies, commercial river guides, and private river runners around the globe. Demonstrates appropriate shorebased victim removal techniques 6. Throw attempt to throw the victims a throwbag rescue line or some other type of approved safety flotation device and pendulumbelay or haul the victims to the bank. Is superseded by and equivalent to puasar002 undertake swiftwater and. Mar 20, 2016 some entry level training we conducted at the wildman adventure resort on the peshtigo river in athelstane, wisconsin. Swiftwater rescue course manual table of contents forward table of contents swiftwater rescue skills sheet chapter 1. Combined with the guidance of experienced instructors, this book will be a good start to your water rescue career. An adventurous and handson, 3day course of intermediate river and flood rescue skills, strategy and tactics involving rescue swimming, rope rigging.
Preparing for swiftwater rescue incidents lifesaving. In this how to video series, learn about swift water rescue and how to wade and swim through white water, from white water rescue technician fergus coffey. First responders work on swift water rescue techniques on clear creek. In addition to swift water rescue, the heavy technical rescue team does trench, confined space, structural collapse and highangle rope rescues, plus hazardous materials response. Swift water rescue is a subset of technical rescue dealing in white water river conditions. It is intended to be used as a tool for training and for quick field reference. Swiftwater safety institute swiftwater rescue training simple is smooth, and smooth is fast serving the u.
Swiftwater rescue operations level ops sierra rescue. Firefighters from metro area departments practiced swift water rescue techniques in the high water of clear creek friday. It covers surface water, flood and swiftwater rescue techniques, and provides the appropriate requisite knowledge and skills up to the operations level. Swi water rescue can be both challenging and dangerous, requiring skill, ming and teamwork in order to be e. Swiftwater rescue training course first responder training. Students are trained in hazard recognition, equipment use, and basic shore and boatbased rescue techniques. Identifies any other hazards directly related to the specific rescue 5. If a victim is stranded in the middle of a flash flood, this will not be prudent. This comprehensive course covers topics of how the river works, basic equipment needs, safety and rescue applications and more. The nonentry swift water rescue is accomplished critical point 7. Rescue 3 europe produces and delivers state of the art technical rescue training courses. This is a self paced online course that takes up to 4 hrs to complete and is the prerequisite for the swiftwater safety rescue courses. This may involve search, rescue, andor recovery operations.
This swiftwater rescue operations level course is designed to provide students with both a theoretical and practical knowledge of the basics of swiftwater rescue. The procedure outlines responsibilities for firstresponders, trt units, command officers, and other fire department personnel. In addition to the new material, the swiftwater rescue field guide still covers topics like basic rescuer safety considerations, river hydrology, equipment, shorebased, boatbased, and in water rescue techniques. A diverse group of experts has gathered to reenact just a sampling of the effort that goes into search, rescue or recovery in yosemite national park ynp. Available forms include rope log, hardware inspection, tmethod, air supply log, entry permit, incidental command system, ics permits, tactical log, trench rescue inspection, incident command chart, site safety worksheet, technician resource.
Safety and safety and rescue instructors should use this document as a general guide for conducting programs. The purpose of this procedure is to establish guidelines for the response of fire department personnel and equipment to water rescue incidents. Water rescue operations january 2008 san francisco fire department 698 2nd street san francisco, ca 94107. Addressed is the common hazards associated with water rescue emergencies, as well as, the first responders initial role, onscene responsibilities, and responder limitations. Swiftwater safety institute swiftwater rescue training and. Rrfrd practices swiftwater rescue techniques albuquerque. The division of fire standards and training and emergency medical services recognizes that its primary mission is to increase the capability of the entire new hampshire fire and emergency medical services through the application of the best methodologies and techniques in education and practice. If possible, the victim can be talked into swimming to shore or assisting the rescuers with hisher own rescue.
The swiftwater awareness online course provides participants with the knowledge to keep themselves and others safe when. Yosemite search and rescue sar teams are preparing to demonstrate swift water rescue techniques in order to convey a crucial message to the visiting public. While the range is not as good as a regular throw bag, the jug will float if inverted. However, all boaters, and nonboaters with an interest in swiftwater rescue e. Dworkin has been a career, call andor volunteer firefighter and emt for over 30 years, and is currently a. Swiftwater courses division of fire standards and training. Jan 16, 2017 this presentation discusses the characteristics of waterrelated emergencies and the health and safety risks to first responders. These home made throw bags are packed and thrown the same way as a throw bag. Preparing for swiftwater rescue incidents water safety magazine. Water hazards are identified upstream and downstream including current and tide 4. This training course is intended for personnel who may be required to carry out rescues in. May 25, 2017 ksl newsradio reporter dave cawley went in the water with instructors matt haberman and andy rich from the university of utah for a lesson in swiftwater rescue techniques. Unit 2 water rescue equipment, techniques and incident management.
The type 5 swiftwater rescue technician srt pdf consists of a. Nfpa 1006 swiftwater rescue task book 6 b requisite skills. Gain skills ranging from inwater rescues, lowvisibility rescues, rope rescue techniques and flood disaster management. Swiftwater and flood rescue technician srt the swiftwater and flood rescue technician course complies with defra module 3 content requirements, and for many years has been seen as the benchmark training course for swiftwater and flood rescue teams. Essentials of river safety and rescue american canoe. The ability to select and use ppe, apply crowd control concepts, position zone control devices, identify and mitigate existing or potential hazards, and personal safety techniques. More than 150,000 water, rope and boat rescue 3 courses have been delivered in over 32 countries since 1979, to fire and rescue services, ambulance teams, mountain rescue teams, and commercial training and leisure activity providers. Fundamental and more advanced techniques for dealing with hazards that. Rescue manuals search and rescue rescue manuals cmc.
All department personnel shall follow these guidelines when responding to. Saw the one on tv where the guy had to hold on to a rope bare handed while being pulled against the current and up onto a bridge,when he got to the end of the rope it slipped through his hands and he fell back into the water. The swift water rescue awareness course is based on the nfpa 1006 standard for technical rescuer professional qualifications and is designed for rescue service personnel who respond to and support water rescue operations. These infrequent but hazardous rescues are very dynamic.
As i said ive never done a swift water rescue, but i think the victom might have a hard time holding onto a wet 38. This unit applies to personnel who are skilled operators who apply the full range of rescues within a swiftwater and floodwater environment, using. Taught here at nocs famous nantahala river campus, courses are ideal for paddling enthusiasts, professional first responders and professional river guides. A good text for introducing what you need to understand before taking a course on swiftwater rescue. Another alternative is for one rescuer to swim out with two rescue tubes. Reach extend an arm, pike pole, rescue hook, or any other such object to reach the victim and pull from the water. The class includes classroom instruction on day one and practical field exercise on the second day. The swiftwater rescue workshop teaches recognition and avoidance of common river hazards, execution of self rescue techniques, and rescue techniques for paddlers in distress. Practical skills include selfrescue, swiftwater swimming and fundamentals of shore. First responders work on swift water rescue techniques on. This water rescue class is the first of two classes designed to train personnel to meet the requirements for the nfpa 1006 technician level for swiftwater rescue. A homemade version of the water rescue throw bag can easily be made from a beach jug and 40 to 70 feet of rope. Swiftwater rescue manual mountain rescue association. This online awareness course is the first step in your safety and rescue training.
Unlike other methods of rescue, the rescuer now enters the water in a swimming. The 15 absolutes of swift water rescue have been a cornerstone of the rescue 3 international swiftwater rescue technician program since 1991. He will teach how to swim over a strainer, when it is safe to stand in white water, and how to avoid foot entrapment in swift water. Puasar034 undertake swiftwater and floodwater rescue and. Upon confirmation of a swift water incident the assignment should be balanced to a first alarm technical rescue which will include callout of the trt. He is responsible for the development of aquatics safety, lifeguarding, water rescue, swiftwater rescue, and ice rescue training curriculums and educational materials, including the course guidebooks, powerpoint presentations, etc. Group assistance for rescue is o len essen al but requires prac ced skills. Due to the added pressure of moving water, swift water rescue involves the use of specially trained personnel, ropes and mechanical advantage systems that are often much more robust than those used in standard rope rescue. The following is a general summary of course content for the level 5. There is no substitute for regular, quality, handson training by a qualified instructor. Heading back this year with rescue 3 international to start certifying our.