Swiftwater Occupational Safety Programs
Swiftwater occupational safety courses are designed for the student that is working in the moving water environment. The focus is on providing the student with the skills to safely work in an at-risk environment. Training objectives will include:
- Hazard awareness and hazard avoidance
- Self rescue
- Second party (teammate) rescue and assists
Awareness – Online course
The awareness (online course) will introduce the hazards associated with the moving water environment, control measures and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). It is expected to take 2-3 hours to complete. A section specifically addressing working in waders should be added if not already included
Swiftwater Occupational Safety Level 1 – Low Risk
Swiftwater Occupational Safety level 1 – is the online course plus one day of practical. This program is designed to provide the student with the skills to safely work in a low-risk water environment. A low risk will be identified as the warm zone of a class 2 river or in the hot zone of a shallow (knee deep) or slow-moving class one river or stream. Level one certification can also be used for students that do not have the swimming ability to complete level two certification criteria. On completion of this course the participant will be able to:
- Identify and avoid hazards, including entrapments
- Identify PPE and control measures
- Perform safe wadding procedures, self and in a group
- Identify hazards and control measures in order to safely work while wearing waders
- Perform self rescue in a low-risk environment
- Perform non-contact shore-based 2 nd party rescue (throw bag)
Swiftwater Occupational Safety Level 2 – High Risk
Swiftwater Occupational Safety level 2 – is the online course plus two days of practical. An option of 1 day of practical is possible if the student instructor ratio is 4:1 or less. This program is designed to provide the student with the skills to safely work in class 1 and 2 rivers. On completion the student will be able to:
- Identify and avoid hazards
- Identify PPE and control measures
- Perform safe wadding procedures, Tethered, self and in a group
- Identify hazards, control measures and self rescue in order to safely work while wearing waders
- Perform self rescue from entrapments – foot, body and, equipment
- Perform self rescue in a high-risk environment (up to class 3 river)
- Perform shore-based 2nd party (teammate) rescue (throw bag)
- Identify rescue options for subject profiles
- Perform a second party assist (towed swim) for a “normal” subject profile
Optional Modules
- Perform snorkel surveys around debris piles and log jams
- Work off of a tethered platform (ex. fish counting wheel)
- Work off of a non-motorized inflatable boat
Recertification / Recurrency
Annual refresher or recurrency training could be used as an option to recertification every 3 years. The recurrency would be one day of practical skills with minimal instruction. Students would perform the core practical skills (site assessment, swim in current, throw bags and entrapments) then should have enough time left to complete a couple of additional skills modules
Swiftwater Rescue
Swiftwater Rescue contains all of the basic safe operating skills found in the occupational safety level two program with the addition of 3rd party rescue considerations. Swift Water Rescue programs will target organizations that have a 3rd party rescue mandate.
Awareness – Online course
The online awareness course will have the same basic chapters as the occupational safety course with the addition of chapters covering
- Patient medical requirements
- Swiftwater Rescue command structure
- Subject profiling
- River search considerations (condensed)
- Incident Action and Rescue Preplans
Level 1 – Support
Swiftwater level 1 – Support is the online course plus one day of practical. This program is designed to provide the student with the skills to safely work in a low-risk moving water environment. A low risk will be identified as the warm zone of a class 2 river or in the hot zone of a shallow (knee deep) or slow-moving (up to 5 Km per hour) class one river or stream. Level one certification can also be used for students that do not have the swimming ability to complete level two certification criteria Swiftwater Rescue level 1 will have the same foundation as level 1 occupational safety with the addition of awareness of the Rescue Team operational objectives (covered in the online course).
Level 2 – Operations
Swiftwater level 2 – Operations is the online course plus two days of practical. This program is designed to provide the student with the skills to safely work and perform 3rd party rescue in class 1 and 2 rivers. On completion the student will be able to:
- Identify and avoid hazards
- Perform self rescue from entrapments and swim in moving water (up to class 3)
- Perform 2nd party non contact rescues.
- Perform 2nd and 3rd party contact rescues
- Function as a team member in an organized rescue response team
Level 3 – Technician
Swiftwater Rescue level 3 will meet all of the criteria identified in level two plus:
- Demonstrate confidence swimming / working in a class 3 environment
- Set up and operate horizontal rope system (tensioned diagonal) in moving water
- Function as a team to complete rescue scenarios.
- Function as a rescue team leader
Level 4 – Specialist (Team Leader)
The course objectives for this program will require some review. The primary group this course will cater to will be SAR (they will have required content and criteria identified for their organization), raft guides and class 4/5 recreationalists.
There are a number of topics included on the skill sheet for this course now. Most of these topics are complex enough that they could be a stand-alone course or grouped together as modules for a level 4 course. Some examples can include:
- Difficult access (canyons)
- ICS and team leadership (ICS 100 could be a pre requisite)
- Advanced horizontal rope in a class 3 plus environment
- Highlines are part of a rope course and boat on a tether in a class 2 plus environment should be part of a boat course
- Develop rescue preplans
- Working in a high-risk environment, up to class 4
Recertification / Recurrency
NFPA is one of the organizations work safe will default to for standards governing rescue response teams. NFPA identifies that rescue teams and individuals must demonstrate competence within the rescue discipline annually. An option to every 3-year recertification of the same skills could be recurency evaluation with additional relevant modules plus and evaluation of core skills. This concept would be to use the same model EMA licencing uses.
Internal Trainers and Consulting
BC SAR will have an established provincial mandate for internal trainers. Career fire departments are municipal and will present an opportunity for developing an internal trainer program. Establishing a stand-alone internal trainer program from zero to complete can be a 10 to 20-year project.
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Water Bound Vehicle Awareness (online course) 1Once per reporting period
- Water Bound Vehicle Rescue Level 1 (static water) 4
Once per reporting period
- Water Bound Vehicle Rescue Level 2 (class 1 river) 4.5
Once per reporting period
- Water Bound Vehicle Rescue Level 2 (class 2 river) 4.5
Once per reporting period
Level 2 – Class 1 Rivers
Water bound vehicles – Level two is designed for responders with a 3rd party rescue mandate to provide rescue from water bound vehicles in static water and class 1 rivers. The objectives of this program will be to conduct size up, determine operational mode, access, and stabilize the vehicle, extricate and transport the subjects. Course participants will have a minimum swift water rescue level 2 as a prerequisite and an auto extrication background.
Course participants will also be required to demonstrate the ability to self rescue, use a throw bag and operate safely in a class 1 river. This program will include the online course and will require 2 days of practical. This program will include all of the lessons found in static water rescue but will be conducted in a class one river.
Level 3 – Class 2 Rivers
Water bound vehicles – Level three is designed for responders with a 3rd party rescue mandate to provide rescue from water bound vehicles in up to a class 3 environment. The objectives of this program will be to conduct size up, determine operational mode, access and stabilize the vehicle, extricate and transport the subjects.
The course participants will have a minimum swift water rescue level 3 as a prerequisite and an auto extrication background. Course participants will also be required to demonstrate the ability to self rescue, use a throw bag and operate safely in a class 2 river. This program will include the online course and will require 2 days of practical.
