»Swiftwater Rescue

Swiftwater Rescue
  • Price: $350.00
  • Duration: 2 days
  • Prerequisites:
    Complete the Medical Application
    Be in good physical condition and free of chronic medical conditions
    Have strong swimming ability

Course Dates

  • No Course Dates Scheduled

Description

The SWR course provides rescuers with the fundamentals of survival in moving water and is recommended for anyone who may be called involved in in-water rescues. Students gain knowledge in hydrology and river classifications, size-up, site control and scene management.  Practical skills include self-rescue, swiftwater swimming and the fundamentals of shore, boat and in-water rescues. Additionally students are introduced to the basics of boat handling and the fundamentals of rope rescue including mechanical advantage and anchor systems.

The SWR class also provides the foundation of the Swiftwater Rescue Technician training level. Swift water Rescue Technician is a mandatory training level for inclusion on a Federal Emergency Management Agency Swiftwater/Flood Search and Rescue Team at all Team levels in conjunction with NFPA 1670 Operations (Water) technician.

Swift Water Rescue Course can be tailored to meet the demands/requirements of government contracts, pre-deployment train-up, and small groups on request through the consulting page.

*ATACSOL reserves the right to deny any personnel and group training.

Training Topics

  • Preplanning
  • Basic and advanced swimming techniques
  • Riverboard handling
  • Highline boat on a tether with a midpoint drop
  • Scene size up
  • Shallow water crossings
  • Mechanical advantage ( simple and compound)
  • Prevention
  • Throw bags
  • Forces on ropes
  • Vector pull with muenter hitch belay
  • Hydrology
  • Foot entrapment rescue
  • Anchor systems
  • Body entrapment
  • Wrapped boats
  • Ascending and descending techniques
  • Proper belay techniques
  • Live bait rescues and jackets
  • Basic paddle boat handling
  • Mechanical advantage
  • On scene assessment
  • Set up a strainer swim
  • Shallow water crossings

Required Equipment

  • For the water:
  • Drysuit or Full Wetsuit!
  • PFD: Type 3 or Type 5 with whistle and knife (knife optional)
  • Helmet: Lightweight swiftwater or climbing helmet.
  • Footwear : Hard soled wetsuit booties or good shoes for walking in the river
  • and on the banks with wool socks and/or wetsuit socks
  • Rope glove; Wetsuit gloves  ( optional)
  • Fins (optional)
  • Food and water: Lunch, snacks and water for each day!
  • Extra warm clothes
  • Head lamps and other lighting you may have for the night operation
  • Hand held radios
  • Personal harness
  • Long sleeve shirt and pants
  • Good boots for rope operation at night and in steep terrain

Food & Water

2 gallons of water per day and enough food to support each training day for the entirety of the course. Students will not be released for lunch, but there will be secure places for student to bring coolers if desired.