Our Instructors
Overview
The very best compliment we’ve ever gotten is: “Man if school had been like this, I’d be a doctor!”
The key to our success is outstanding instructors.
As first responders, outdoor or medical professionals, Raven Rescue Instructors are constantly using the skills they teach and are up-to-date on the latest developments in rescue and rescue medicine theory and practice. In addition, all our instructors all have great personalities, natural teaching abilities and a dedication to customer service. This ensures your training experience is enjoyable as well as educational.
Technical Rescue
Our technical rescue instructors are all highly operational, which means they regularly work in high-risk environments including swiftwater and surface ice and utilize technical rope systems and wilderness medical skills on a regular basis. This means that training is conducted in a safe environment. Also, our technical rescue instructors are gifted teachers and know how to break skills down into small, logical progressions that are easy to learn and remember. Click here for short bios on our technical rescue instructors.
Wilderness Medical
Our wilderness medical instructors are all medical rescue professionals that actively work in remote or unconventional settings but are also experienced educators, researchers and advocates for healthcare in difficult conditions. What’s more, Wilderness Medical Associates’ rigorous training process ensures that our instructors can take complex medical subjects and break them down into simple, understandable lessons that you will remember when it counts. Click here for short bios on our wilderness medical instructors.
Technical Rescue Instructors
Scroll down to see short bios on our Technical Rescue Instructors.
Walter Bucher
Executive Director & Instructor Trainer
Instructor: Swiftwater, Ice, Rope, Boat
Raven Rescue owner and head instructor Walter Bucher has 25 years of experience in search & rescue and technical rescue instruction. He is Rescue 3’s Instructor Trainer and Official Agent for Western Canada. In addition, Walter Bucher coordinates swiftwater rescue services for Bulkley Valley Search and Rescue and is a volunteer firefighter with Smithers Fire Department. For a detailed bio, please contact us.
Ron Morrison
Programming Director & Instructor Trainer
Instructor: Swiftwater, Ice, Rope, Tower, Boat, Wilderness Medical
Ron has accumulated over a decade of delivering rescue, medical, leadership and adventure skills for first response agencies, government, industry and universities. He is Western Canadian Manager for Wilderness Medical Associates and serves on WMA’s Faculty Committee, and is also a member of the Canadian International Rescue Team, and Red Deer Technical USAR Team. Ron’s swiftwater credentials come from years as an expedition paddler, he has served as Education Chair for Paddle Alberta and is an examiner for the BC Raft Outfitters Association. He is also well-versed in technical rope rescue and has participated in international climbing expeditions. Ron is a graduate of Lakehead University’s Outdoor Recreation Program and has also served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Craig Gerrard
Instructor Trainer
Instructor: Swiftwater, Rope, Tower, Boat
Craig teaches water-based rescue courses from the awareness to the technician level, as well as boat handling, technical rope and tower rescue. He has a strong background in whitewater, being an accomplished paddler and rafter. In addition, Craig coordinates swiftwater rescue for Cowichan Search and Rescue. He and his wife Stacey own and operate Kindred Spirit Kayak Company out of Duncan, BC. providing whitewater kayaking excursions and instruction and are also dealers for Bliss Stick kayaks and Aire inflatables. Craig is an organized, intuitive and patient instructor and gets great reviews from his students.
Tim Wheeler
Instructor Trainer: Swiftwater, Ice, Boat
Tim has an outdoor resume longer than your arm and teaches swiftwater, boat handling and ice rescue. He is an experienced backcountry guide, and leads mountaineering, hiking, canoeing and kayaking expeditions in many remote regions of Canada and around the world. In addition, Tim has worked as an Initial Attack Forest Fire Ranger. He is a gifted and natural teacher and always gets huge kudos for showing clients how safety and rescue skills relate to their specific job responsibilities.
Mike Adams
Instructor Trainer
Instructor: Swiftwater, Rope
Mike is a Swiftwater Instructor-Trainer with North Vancouver District Fire and Rescue and teaches swiftwater and technical rope courses for Raven Rescue as well. Combining exceptional swiftwater, technical rope and teaching skills, he is a great asset to our instructor team. Mike is also an accomplished whitewater paddler and river guide and is starting to introduce his young family to river recreation.
Colin Saurette
Instructor: Swiftwater, Ice, Rope, Boat
In addition to teaching swiftwater rescue and ice rescue courses for Raven Rescue, Colin is employed by the Canadian Coast Guard, and is a dedicated volunteer member of the Squamish Search and Rescue team. His SAR involvement keeps his operational skills finely-tuned and he is continually upgrading his qualifications in order to stay current. He is currently working on his Paramedic ticket. Colin is a consumate professional and goes the extra distance to make sure his clients learn the skills they need in order to do their jobs in the safest manner possible.
Kit Little
Instructor: Confined Space, Rope, Swiftwater
Kit is a Captain with North Vancouver District Fire and Rescue and is in charge of their #1 Rescue Station. Kit teaches swiftwater rescue, rope rescue, confined space, tower crane and trench rescue. He is also our only Instructor to have demonstrated a full headstand in an inflatable kayak - while descending Class III whitewater! In the past, Kit has also volunteered with the Lions Bay Search and Rescue and is now keeping very busy with two young boys.
Peter Lyon
Instructor: Rope, Confined Space, Fall Protection
Peter teaches our low and high angle technical rope courses, confined space and fall protection. Peter works as a Safety Manager for Aecon Group, Canada’s largest publically-traded construction company. Peter’s background includes mine rescue, fire fighting and technical rescue equipment sales. Peter is detail-oriented and conscientious—important qualities for a rope instructor. He has a great sense of humour and an ability to inspire confidence in clients who may be testing their personal comfort zone.
Scott Streadwick
Instructor: Swiftwater, Ice
Scott is a multi-faceted swiftwater professional. As owner of Liquid Lifestyles, a river adventure company, kayak school and swiftwater equipment retailer, Scott makes it possible for people of all ages and abilities to enjoy river recreation in kayaks, inflatables and rafts. Scott keeps his rescue skills sharp as the Director and Training Officer for Wells Gray Search and Rescue. In winter, he is a professional heli ski guide in the Cariboo and Monashee mountains and ice rescue instructor. Scott is also the proud papa of two young boys who are rapidly becoming river otters.
Todd Sikorsky
Instructor: Ice, Rope, Tower
Todd is currently the Chief for Canmore FIRE/EMS. Todd is an ALS and flight certified paramedic, and a lead specialist for the Canmore Technical Rescue team. His list of certifications is long and includes being dive qualified and certified through Alberta Parks for Heli-sling operations. Todd is the owner of Black Dog Rescue, a Canmore-based supplier for professional rescue supplies. He is an active member of the IFSAC and PRO board and certified as an NFPA instructor. Todd is an easygoing instructor with a wealth of experience. Todd is also an avid climber and mountain bike enthusiast.
Stefan Bucher
Instructor: Swiftwater
Stefan grew up on the river and is equally at home in the water as on land. Stefan is an accomplished paddler, a certified lifeguard and a registered nurse, specializing in emergency medicine. Stefan is also experienced in swiftwater search & rescue. He has an exceptional ability to read water, identify hazards and apply low-to-high risk rescue options, making him a valuable asset to our teaching team. Stefan teaches awareness, operations and technician-level swiftwater courses.
Chris Burnham
Instructor: Swiftwater
Chris is at home on rivers worldwide having kayaked and rafted in places like the UK, Italy, Norway, Chile, New Zealand, Nepal & Zimbabwe. He is an owner and guide of Chinook Rafting, a river company that runs trips close to Banff, Alberta. In addition, Chris is a rafting examiner for the BC and AB River Outfitters Association, a certified kayaking instructor, and is an emergency medical and advanced wilderness first responder. Chris also has a strong background in rope rescue and has worked for the Industrial Rope Access Trade Association. Chris brings a wealth of experience, skill and charisma to our team.
Kevin Knight
Instructor: Swiftwater, Boat
In addition to Kevin instructing for Raven Rescue, he is an owner and guide of Main Current Rafting Expeditions, a river rafting company that runs trips throughout northern BC. Kevin is equally at home on a raft, kayak, bike, in scuba gear, or hiking in the remote wilderness. From forestry to mechanics to business management Kevin is a multifaceted individual. Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and personal experience to the swiftwater and boat handling courses he instructs. His professional and safety conscious persona makes him a valuable asset to our team.
Rob Vance
Instructor: Swiftwater, Ice, Wild Med
Rob has been guiding and instructing outdoor skills for almost 10 years. He has guided paddling expeditions in the Canadian North, Alberta and Ontario. Rob holds a BA in geography, Bachelor of Physical Health and Education and most recently a Bachelor of Education with a specialty in Outdoor Education. Rob is also the co-founder of Connected in Motion – an organization whose mission is to unite people with type one diabetes who want to live healthy outdoor lifestyles through outdoor experiential learning opportunities.
Florian Scharlock
Instructor: Swiftwater
Florian moved from Switzerland to Canada in 2002. He learned to kayak at 13 and naturally drifted towards a career in the outdoors. He completed the Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Certificate Program at the College of New Caledonia in Valemont BC as well as the Adventure Tourism Guide Diploma through Thompson River University in Kamloops. Flo teaches kayaking, swiftwater rescue and rafting for Thompson Rivers University and also guides for Cresent Spur Heliskiing.
Travis Finlayson
Instructor: Swiftwater, Ice
Travis has been professionally teaching and guiding a wide variety of outdoor skills for over 10 years. He has led a number of river expeditions across Northern Canada, he is a certified paddling instructor, avalanche safety instructor, ski/snowboard instructor and instructor for the Canadian Safety Council. Travis also instructs at Lakeland College in the Adventure Tourism & Outdoor Recreation Program. Travis is a dynamic and experienced instructor and we are proud to have him as part of our team.
Rob Evans-Davies
Instructor: Swiftwater, Rope, Ice
Rob is also a certified NFPA instructor, ALS paramedic and an Assistant Chief of Canmore Fire Rescue. Rob brings a wealth of operational experience and knowledge to our programs. He is also an accomplished paddler with many miles under his belt in the Canadian Rockies. Rob brings a tremendous amount of swiftwater rescue experience to our team. Rob is an experienced and dynamic instructor with a ton of real life experience.
Dan Kirvan
Instructor: Swiftwater
Dan Kirvan is a firefighter with the City of Ottawa and is an instructor and manager with OWL Rafting and Madawaska Kanu Centre. Dan is an engaging instructor able to connect with a diverse clientele base from firefighters, industry, resource personnel to the the outdoor enthusiast. Dan is valuable asset to the Raven Rescue instructor team.
Stefanie McArdle
Instructor: Swiftwater
Stef is a certified whitewater canoe, kayak and swiftwater rescue instructor. Stef is a river guide with Costa Rica Rios in the winter and with OWL Rafting on the Ottawa River and Madwaska Kanu Centre in the summer. She loves to teach, connect and inspire others to gain a passion for whitewater and the outdoors. She has guided extended canoe expeditions in Northern Ontario an Quebec and has paddled and led trips in Ecuador, Chile and Mexico. Stef’s enthusiasm, experience and attention to safety create a positive learning environment and memorable courses for participants.
Paul Carus
Instructor: Swiftwater, Ice
After completing his bachelor’s degree at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, Paul relocated to BC to pursue a career in adventure tourism. His experience in the outdoor industry is diverse, ranging from raft guiding to paragliding to Hydro Broncs. Paul is a member of the Pemberton Search and Rescue group, and a Wilderness First Responder.
Hatha Callis
Instructor: Swiftwater, Avalanche Planning Coordinator
For many years Hatha has been guiding on remote river rafting expeditions with his company Skeena Valley Expeditions. In the winter Hatha works as a heli-ski guide an Operations Manager for a heli-ski company. Hatha has a passion for the outdoors which he enjoys sharing with others.
Amy Copland
Marketing Director
Amy is the first point of contact for most clients. She coordinates our course bookings and office management. A former journalist and public relations consultant, she is also an avid whitewater paddler and rafter and brings a hands-on knowledge of rivers, rope and safety to her dealings with clients. In the summer months, Amy can often be found on rivers across the West, plying the oars of an 18’ Aire cataraft with a pile of kids and an aging Jack Russell terrier aboard.
Our Instructors
The very best compliment we’ve ever gotten is: “Man if school had been like this, I’d be a doctor!”
The key to our success is outstanding instructors.
As first responders, outdoor or medical professionals, Raven Rescue Instructors are constantly using the skills they teach and are up-to-date on the latest developments in rescue and rescue medicine theory and practice. In addition, all our instructors all have great personalities, natural teaching abilities and a dedication to customer service. This ensures your training experience is enjoyable as well as educational.
Technical Rescue
Our technical rescue instructors are all highly operational, which means they regularly work in high-risk environments including swiftwater and surface ice and utilize technical rope systems and wilderness medical skills on a regular basis. This means that training is conducted in a safe environment. Also, our technical rescue instructors are gifted teachers and know how to break skills down into small, logical progressions that are easy to learn and remember. Click here for short bios on our technical rescue instructors.
Wilderness Medical
Our wilderness medical instructors are all medical rescue professionals that actively work in remote or unconventional settings but are also experienced educators, researchers and advocates for healthcare in difficult conditions. What’s more, Wilderness Medical Associates’ rigorous training process ensures that our instructors can take complex medical subjects and break them down into simple, understandable lessons that you will remember when it counts. Click here for short bios on our wilderness medical instructors.
Becoming an Instructor
First, some background ...
Raven Rescue is the Official Agent for Rescue 3 International, which means we are the sole Canadian provider of Rescue 3 training courses in swiftwater, ice rescue, technical rope rescue and motorized boat handling. In order to teach Rescue 3 courses in Canada, you must first participate in our Instructor certification process and demonstrate a high standard of technical rescue and teaching ability.
We are also the Western Canada Office for Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA). To become a WMA Instructor please visit the WMA International website.
Why can’t I just take an Instructors’ course for a few days and get certified to teach?
We have no interest in the standard “Train-the-Trainer” approach where those with little relevant skills or experience can become certified to teach in a few days. We don’t believe it is responsible to put someone in charge of others in a high-risk environment like swiftwater, frozen lakes or rivers, or working at height, without them first demonstrating operational ability in a range of conditions. Rather, we focus on recruiting those who already possess solid baseline skills, and then work with them over a period of time to strengthen and fine tune their abilities. The length of time this takes depends on their prior experience, aptitude, and teaching goals.
General Pre-requisites
All Instructor Candidates must possess:
- Operational experience in a related field
- Have taken a Technician level course in the chosen discipline at least twice (Raven Rescue or equivalent)
- Current EMR/EMT B or Wilderness First Responder (80 hour) certification or higher
- Current certification at the Technician level for Rope Rescue (or equivalent)
Choose the type of Instructor
- Agency Instructor
- Corporate Instructor
What is an Agency Instructor?
Agency Instructors are certified to teach only those who are covered by the same insurance umbrella, ie: fire department colleagues or fellow SAR volunteers. Public registrations are not allowed in this type of course. Agency Instructors must demonstrate ability to teach the required skills and be able to respond to emergencies that could arise during a course, but do not have to meet the exceptional standard of operational ability, course delivery and client service that we require of Corporate Instructors (see below). For this reason, the Instructor certification process can be somewhat shorter but it’s still not a “rubber stamp”.
Agency Instructors must:
- Abide by our SOGs and Safe Work Procedures
- Follow our curriculum
- Purchase course materials from our office
- Return course materials to us in a timely manner
- Be audited every two years by an Instructor Trainer while teaching a course for their agency
To begin the process of becoming an Agency Instructor, please click the big red button to complete our Instructor Application. When you click “submit” it will be emailed directly to us and we will get back to you to discuss your suitability.
What is a Corporate Instructor?
Candidates granted Corporate Instructor status are certified to teach courses organized by Raven Rescue for a wide range of clients from emergency responders, to natural resource managers, to industrial personnel, to recreationists. We have rigorous requirements designed to ensure that our Corporate Instructors are the very best in the rescue training business.
In order to become a Corporate Instructor, candidates must demonstrate:
- Mastery level of required and related skills
- Excellent physical fitness
- Compelling teaching ability
- High standard of professionalism and client service orientation
Raven Rescue organizes all aspects of the courses taught by Corporate Instructors, including classrooms, insurance and travel. They must be audited by an Instructor Trainer every two years and participate in regular professional development opportunities to maintain their operational status. As a result of our high standards, we believe we have the very best Instructors in the industry: consumate technical rescue professionals as well as inspiring teachers.
To begin the process of becoming a Corporate Instructor, please click the big red button to complete our Instructor Application. When you click “submit” it will be emailed directly to us and we will get back to you to discuss your suitability.
