Frequently Asked Questions
What are “Training Levels”?
Occupational health and safety legislation does not contain specific recommendations for training for high risk environments like swiftwater, surface ice and rope environments. Therefore, the level of training you require depends on the “standard-of-care” which is a legal term defined as the care that can be expected of a “reasonable” person. For more information on the OSH and legal implications of working in high risk environments, please see our Resources section, including What responsibility do I have to provide training those I supervise?; Excerpts from provincial OSH legislation; and Federal law and implications for employers. In the case of swiftwater, surface ice and rope environments, the level of training required depends on the degree of exposure you have to a particular hazard. The safety and rescue training industry, worldwide, and the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA) recognize three distinct training levels that qualify you to work in increasing proximity to a hazard.
Training Levels
- Awareness
- Operations
- Technician
Scroll down to find your work environment (swiftwater, rope, ice, boat) and then read about the different training levels we offer.
Surface Water or Swiftwater
Awareness - Qualifies personnel to work in the “cold zone” more than 10’ from water. Our Swiftwater Awareness course includes a four-hour classroom-based introduction to the theory of swiftwater rescue. It provides an overview of the risks and hazards associated with moving water, and a summary of the techniques that can be used to self-rescue or rescue others. This course results in basic background knowledge for those who have front-line personnel who encounter moving water in the course of their work or provides enough knowledge to ensure that personnel trained to this level stay at least 10’ away from surface water and swiftwater in the course of their work. It does not qualify you to work directly alongside or in moving water. Note: our Surface Water First Responder course fulfills requirements for an Awareness certification, but it also includes some Operations and Technician level skills (ie. “go” rescues) and so it is up to the employer to dictate which skills may be performed on the job.
Operations - Qualifies personnel to work in the “warm zone” within 10’ of fast-moving water (defined by the NFPA as water moving more than 2 km/h) and on the river bank but not in fast-moving water itself. An Operations course also certifies you to work in very slow-moving (moving less than 2 km/h) and/or surface (non-moving) water, and/or in a boat on fast-moving water. However, our recommendation is that anyone working in a boat on fast-moving water should take a Technician’s level course in order to develop additional rescue skills in the event of a capsize. Our Swiftwater Operations course is a two-day course including one day in the classroom and one day on the river. It provides the knowledge and skills necessary to work in close proximity to moving water, and to assist (from a shore-based position) those certified to work in the water. The course covers basic hydrology of moving water and the risks associated with it. Participants practice shore-based rescue techniques using simple methods, and basic swimming techniques to ensure participants are able to self-rescue. It does not qualify you to work in fast-moving water.
Technician - Qualifies personnel to work in the “hot zone”, or in moving water. Our Swiftwater Technician (commonly called SRT 1) is a three-day course that is the “standard-of-care” or minimum training recommended for those who work in moving water. The classroom session provides detailed knowledge of hydrology and hazards associated with moving water. The next two days are spent in moving water, learning skills including shallow water crossings, self-rescue and simple, effective techniques for the rescue of others. Above and beyond the Technician level, we take “hot zone” skills even further in a course called Swiftwater Rescue Technician - Advanced that covers night operations and extreme swiftwater conditions.
Technical Rope
Awareness We do not provide a certification course in rope instruction at this level. On request, we are able to conduct 1/2 day info sessions for those interested in learning more about technical rope (low and high angle) systems and the type of training and equipment needed for employees to work safely when utilizing these systems.
Operations Qualifies personnel to work on terrain or with systems that have a low slope angle from 15 to 35 degrees (from the horizontal). Our three-day Technical Rope - Operations course is the “standard-of-care” or minimum training recommended for those who utilize low angle rope rescue skills in the course of their work, including over-the-bank extrication of victims and vehicles.
Technician Qualifies personnel to work on terrain or in situations requiring steep and high slope angles of 35 to 90 degrees. Our Technical Rope - Technician course is the “standard-of-care” or minimum training recommended for those who utilize steep or high angle rope rescue skills in the course of their work, including chair-lift evacuation, cliff rescue, bridge inspection, maintenance and repair, and other steep or vertical scenarios. It is an excellent foundation for other rope rescue disciplines including confined space and tower rescue.
Surface Ice
Technician: Qualifies personnel to work on surface ice, ie: frozen lakes, ponds and rivers. Our two-day Ice Rescue Technician course is the only surface ice training we provide. Learn to determine the factors that influence ice thickness and strength, identify hazards, self rescue and simple techniques for the rescue of others. The course is one day in the classroom and one on the ice. On request, we are able to conduct 1/2 day info sessions for managers and supervisors interested in learning more about surface ice hazards and the type of training and equipment needed for employees to work safely in this high-risk environment.
Boat Handling
Our boat training is not categorized according to training levels. We offer a three-day Boat Handling course for both swiftwater and flatwater, for motorized or non-motorized watercraft of all types. We can also provide customized training sessions of one or two days, or 1/2 day info sessions for supervisors and managers interested in learning more about boating hazards and the type of training and equipment needed for employees to work safely in this high-risk environment.
For more information on these courses, please click on the links (above) or go to our water, ice, rope and boat sections.
