Links

Colleagues and contacts around the world.

British Columbia
Provincial Emergency Program - British Columbia’s emergency reponse and coordination agency.
BC Search and Rescue Association - The administrative body responsible for coordination of services for British Columbia’s volunteer Search and Rescue teams.
Justice Institute of BC -  Innovative education and training for those who make communities safe.
Fire Chiefs’ Association of BC - A forum for the exchange of ideas and educational information relative to the Fire Service of British Columbia
BC Fire Training Officer’s Association - Dedicated to gathering information on training standards and providing this information to fire departments so they may effectively and safely train their members.
FNESS - First Nations Emergency Services Society offering support and funding for emergency preparedness for First Nation’s communities.
Kindred Spirit Kayaking - Vancouver Island based whitewater and ocean kayaking company providing instruction, tours and equipment rentals. Also a dealer for Jackson Kayaks.
Liquid Lifestyles - An outdoor adventure company offering kayaking, rafting, and mountain biking instruction and trips.
Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue  - Ground, cliff, technical rope, mountain, swiftwater, and avalanche rescue capability with helicopter operations as required.
Smithers Volunteer Fire Department  - Town of Smithers fire protection services.

Alberta
WFR Wholesale Fire and Rescue Ltd. - Specializing in the manufacturing and distribution of fire and rescue equipment, including MARSARS, in Canada.

Ontario
AJ Stone Co. Ltd. - An equipment company dedicated to the needs of first responders in Ontario and beyond. Great selection of ice and swiftwater equipment and characterized by service and customer satisfaction.
Ontario Fire Marshall - Coordinates training of firefighters and other fire department personnel, provides guidelines and best practices, and assists departments with providing fire prevention and fire protection services.
Ministry of Labour - Their mandate is to set, communicate and enforce workplace standards that advance safe, fair and harmonious workplace practices.

Canada
Wilderness Medical Associates - Leading the world in wilderness and rescue medicine.
www.wearalifejacket.com - A Canadian website with tons of valuable information about PFDs. How to choose one, how to wear one, and what can happen if you don’t.
North Water - North Water designs and builds swiftwater rescue and paddle sport products to promote safety, comfort and organization.
Carleton Rescue Equipment Supplying technical rescue equipment for high angle rescue, rope work access, fall protection, industrial safety, medical & first aid, water & ice rescue and confined space.
SOS Hardware SOS Hardware Inc. is a grass roots Canadian company owned and operated by Paramedic- Firefighter-Rescue Technicians. They specialize in quality search and rescue equipment.
Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs - Leadership and representation for the Canadian Fire Service on public safety issues.
Mustang Survival Corporation - Committed to the manufacturing and distribution of life support (rescue) equipment throughout Canada and the USA.
Ultimate Fire Safety Guide - A useful link on general fire safety submitted by “Shawn”, a young student studying safety in Molly Quinn’s class. Thanks Shawn! Be safe!
Public Safety Canada - Coordinates all federal departments and agencies responsible for national security and the safety of Canadians, including natural disasters, crime and terrorism.
Firehall Bookstore (Annex Publishing) - A major retailer of manuals, standards, DVDs and other resources for emergency responders.
Underwriters Laboratories of Canada - An independent product safety testing, certification and inspection organization accredited by the Standards Council of Canada.

USA
Rescue 3 International - The global leader in technical rescue equipment and training on land, on water and in the air.
National Fire Protection Agency - Developer of the 1760 and 1006 standards for technical rescue incidents which has become the global standard for swiftwater, ice and rope rescue.
NRS (National River Supply) - Retailer of excellent technical gear for swiftwater including drysuits, helmets, PFDs and rescue gear.
WaveTrek Rescue - Washington’s Regional Training Centre for Rescue 3 International. Specializing in swiftwater, technical rope and technical animal rescue.
Sierra Rescue - Regional Training Center for Rescue 3 International in the Western US (California, Colorado, Idaho)
Elite Swiftwater Institute - Eastern US-based provider of Rescue 3 swiftwater and rope rescue courses. Great source for industry news, gear reviews, tips and tricks.
CFS Press - A small publishing house owned by renowned swiftwater and flood expert Slim Ray. Many articles and books authored by Slim are available through this site.
California Whitewater Rafting - California Rafting Information
Animated Knots by Grog - A wonderful, visual reference for learning to tie knots critical to rescue disciplines.

International
Rescue 3 UK - Rescue 3 International programs delivered at the National Whitewater Centre in Wales.
Centro Canoa Rafting et Hydrospeed Marmore - Italy’s Rescue 3 provider of swiftwater rescue training and river adventures.

Courses

Schedule

Upcoming Dates

Feb 13-15, 2012

Swiftwater - Technician (SRT 1)

Feb 13-15, 2011

Swiftwater - Operations

Feb 14-16, 2012

Ice Rescue - Technician

See full schedule

Technical Rescue Academy

Join us for a unique series of technical rescue courses ... all in one place.  ... at a BIG discount!

Sept. 3 – Oct. 4, 2012
Squamish, BC

Never before have so many top instructors come together in Canada to teach this many technical rescue courses in one place. No matter your level of experience, you will find a variety of courses that challenge and inspire.

  • 4 Core Courses including EMR, Swiftwater Rescue and Technical Rope Rescue
  • 4 Electives including Rescue from Vehicles in Water and Confined Space Awareness
  • Optional ProBoard Evaluations in Swiftwater and Technical Rope
  • Equipment Demo Day and Steak Barbeque

See full details

Fantastic course! Fun and informative ... if school was like this, I'd be a doctor!

Nicholas Carroll, Whitehorse Fire Department

BLOG: The Raven Speaks

What basic equipment do I need to be able to perform a safe and effective surface ice rescue?

February 1, 2012

This is one of the questions our instructors get all the time from our students.  As such we thought we might write something up to be used as a reference and help point you in the right direction.

read THIS ENTRY >

see MORE BLOG ENTRIES >

resources

Federal Bill C-45 and its implications for employers

Since 2004, Canadian employers in both the public and private sector can be charged with criminal negligence for the actions (or lack of action) of a manager or supervisor who has failed to train their personnel to do their jobs in a safe manner. Bill C-45 is federal legislation that has particular relevance to those with personnel working in high risk environments like swiftwater, surface ice, confined space or with technical rope systems.

our approach

We believe training should be tailored to the specific needs of each client. While we teach all the skills and knowledge necessary for certification, we approach a course for emergency personnel in an entirely different manner than one for resource managers or outdoor guides.