A classroom-based course, designed to provide personnel who may be working near water with sufficient knowledge to be aware of the hazards created by this environment, and develop an understanding of water rescue techniques. The Water and Flood Awareness course is for those supporting rescue teams. The comparable course for personnel within industry who may be called to work near water is Water Awareness and Safety (WAS)

As well as being prepared to work around the water and undertake bank based and shallow water wading rescues, one of the main roles of a First Responder is to support the teams of Swiftwater Rescue Technicians at an incident. To enable this, a responder will have the ability to self-rescue, skills in shallow water working, basic boat handling and basic rope work.

A First Responder will be expected to help and support in technical rescue but will not be expected to perform them. This may include providing downstream safety cover or assistance with casualty handling. Flooding operations may include evacuation of people from properties using shallow water working skills. At a scene of major flooding the Technicians may be in short supply and utilised for technical rescues. Therefore, it is First Responders who will be used to undertake the majority of evacuations and safety provision.

Prerequisites: Must be a confident swimmer, Minimum age: 18

The Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT) 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. This training course is intended for personnel who may be required to carry out rescues in a swiftwater and flood environment, including emergency services personnel and mountain rescue teams.

Prerequisites: Must be a confident swimmer, Minimum age: 18

The Basic Water Rescuer – Foundation course is designed for personnel who may be deployed to a basic (still) water environment, such as lakes, ponds and canals, where they may be required to undertake simple rescues using basic equipment. For using more equipment-intensive elements, including rescue platforms, sleds and boards, students should undertake the Basic Water Rescuer (BWR) course.

Prerequisites: Must be a confident swimmer, Minimum age: 18

The Basic Water Rescuer course is designed for personnel who may be deployed to a basic (still) water environment, such as lakes, ponds and canals, where they may be required to undertake rescues.

Prerequisites: Must be a confident swimmer, Minimum age: 18

The Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician Advanced – Water course is for existing Rescue 3 Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technicians looking at advanced rescue situations both in and over water including search management in a swiftwater and flood environment. Current Rescue 3 Technicians wanting an advanced rescue capability in water can do the SRTA-W. Those wanting to add rope rescue including steep and vertical banks and over water technical rescue capability can do the SRTA-W&R.

• Technicians who are working towards their Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician Instructor (SRTI) qualification will need to do the SRTA-Water as a prerequisite to their Instructor Training course.
• Contact hours
• 18 hours (3 days)

Course content includes:

• Weir risk assessment and pre planning
• Advanced swiftwater swimming
• True and conditional rescues
• Night and poor visibility in water operations
• Swiftwater & flood search management
• Mechanical advantage systems
• High energy tethers
• Paddle boat handling

Prerequisites: Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT), Minimum age: 18

The Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician Advanced – Water and Rope course is for people who hold both the Rescue 3 Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT) and Rope Rescue Operator (RRO) and looking at advanced rescue situations both in and over water including search management in a swiftwater and flood environment.

Current Rescue 3 Technicians wanting an advanced rescue capability in water can do the Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician – Advanced – Water (SRTA W). Those wanting to add rope rescue including steep and vertical banks and over water technical rescue capability can do the SRTA-W&R.

Technicians who are working towards their SRT instructor qualification will need to do either SRTA-W or SRTA-W and R as a prerequisite to their Instructor Training course.

Prerequisites: Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT), Rope Rescue Operator (RRO), Minimum age: 18

Water Awareness and Safety (WAS) is a classroom-based course that looks at hazards and risks associated with inland (lakes, canals, rivers) and coastal water. It looks at basic control measures and safe working practices that can be introduced, including types of PPE and zoning to ensure workers understand the dangers of water and how to avoid accidental immersion.

This course is designed for people tasked with working near water but who will not be expected to work within 3m of the water’s edge and will not necessarily be issued with any water PPE. The comparable course for those supporting rescue teams is Water and Flood Awareness (AW).

Prerequisites: None

The Lifejacket Competent User course is designed for workers who are issued with a lifejacket and who are expected to work near water as part of their job function, but do not wish to complete a full Safe Working Near Water course. This is either because they already have a Water Awareness and Safety course or they only wish to know how to don and doff a lifejacket and care for it.

It is not intended that these workers will enter the water as part of their work, and a manual- or auto-inflation lifejacket is issued as PPE for accidental water entry only, though the course will cover this possibility practically to ensure workers are prepared for the event if it does happen. Workers requiring a more comprehensive working near- or in-water capability can take the Rescue 3 Europe Safe Working Near Water or Safe Working In Water course.

Prerequisites: None

The Safe Working Near Water course is designed for people tasked with working near water and who will be issued with lifejackets but will not be expected to intentionally enter the water, eg EA, SEPA, NRW personnel, construction industry workers, road and bridge maintenance workers.

Prerequisites: Must be a confident swimmer, Minimum age 18

The Safe Working In Water (SWIW) course is designed for people tasked with working in water who will need a self- and co-worker rescue capability using conditional rescue techniques, egthrowbags, wading techniques and reach poles. The target audience is EA, SEPA, NRW personnel, construction industry workers, road and bridge maintenance workers.

This course offers a higher level rescue capability than the Safe Working Near Water (SWNW) course.

Prerequisites: Able to swim

The Whitewater Rescue Technician – Foundation course is designed for whitewater users such as kayakers, canoeists, packrafters, stand up paddle boarders with little or no experience, and aims to teach basic safety and rescue skills required in a moderate whitewater environment, and covers the foundation skills used in all our water safety and rescue courses.

Prerequisites: Must be a confident swimmer, Minimum age: 18

The Whitewater Rescue Technician – Recreational course is designed for recreational paddlers with existing river experience, to provide you with the necessary skills to perform rescues in whitewater river situations. Whitewater professionals (eg raft guides, safety kayakers) should take the Whitewater Rescue Technician – Professional (WRT-PRO) course.

Prerequisites: Confident swimmer, with experience of water-based activities (rafting, canoeing, canyoning, sea level traversing etc), Minimum age: 18

The Whitewater Rescue Technician – Professional course is designed for professional river users, eg raft guides, safety kayakers, with existing river experience, to provide you with the necessary skills to perform rescues in whitewater river situations. Recreational paddlers should take the Whitewater Rescue Technician – Recreational (WRT-REC) course.

Prerequisites: Confident swimmer, with experience of water-based activities (eg rafting, canoeing, kayaking etc), Minimum age: 18

The Whitewater Rescue Technician Advanced course follows on from the Whitewater Rescue Technician – Professional (WRT-PRO) course and is designed for outdoor professionals working in challenging environments, such as grade 4/5 water, unsupported expeditions or in gorges/canyons where vertical access/egress may be required. As with the WRT-PRO, the focus is on solutions to common rescue situations, and effective use of river rescue kit.

The Lifejackets for Emergency Services (LJES) course is designed for emergency service personnel who are issued with a lifejacket and who are expected to work near water and floods as part of their job function. They will only be expected to work within the cold zone (minimum 3 metres away from the water’s edge). This course also covers all elements of a Water and Flood Awareness (AW) (Defra Mod 1 course).

It is not intended that these personnel will enter the water as part of their deployment, and a manual- or auto-inflation lifejacket is issued as PPE for accidental water entry only, though the course will cover this possibility practically to ensure personnel are prepared for the event if it does happen. It includes a basic conditional rescue capability of their colleagues. Personnel who need a more comprehensive course, including working in the warm zone can take the Rescue 3 Europe Swiftwater and Flood First Responder (SFR) course (Defra Mod 2).

Workers who aren’t part of the emergency/rescue services, who are issued with a lifejacket and work near water as part of their job function should take a Lifejacket Competent User (LJCU) or Safe Working Near Water (SWNW) course instead.

Prerequisites: None