State of The Art Indoor Swift Water Rescue Training Facility in Fayetteville, NC

Swift water training center at Fathom Tanks in Texas

It will be amazing to have a state-of-the-art water rescue training facility in our backyard. Stay tuned for available training for your agency.

Fayetteville Technical Community College (FTCC) is building a specially equipped indoor facility to provide swift water rescue training.

This facility is projected to open in early 2023 and will be operable seven days a week.

Swift water rescue training is critically important in an increasingly flood-prone world.

Because of hurricanes and torrential rainstorms, dangerous flood and swift water situations can happen almost anywhere. Emergency personnel who face these situations need specialized training that can be difficult and dangerous to arrange in natural outdoor settings.

Soon, that training will be readily available at FTCC’s Swift Water Rescue Training facility in Fayetteville, N.C.

The facility will be equipped with an 88,000-gallon indoor tank created by Fathom Tanks of Georgetown, Tex. The tank will be equipped with pumps that can blast water at a flow of up to 7 knots, allowing first responders and others to train year-round for rescues in floods, swift-water situations and other water-rescue situations.

The facility will allow for a variety of training scenarios, including different weather, water temperatures, obstacles, and rescue challenges, including simulated rescues at night.

Other features will include:

• Year-round training in clean, filtered water
• Controllable water level, current, flow and direction
• Ability to train with real submerged vehicles
• Realistic lightning, thunder, rain, police sirens and lights

The Swift Water Rescue Training facility will be located on the 30-acre state-of-the-art Fire & Rescue Training complex that FTCC is building on Tom Starling Road in Fayetteville.

 

Swift water training center at Fathom Tanks in Texas

Drones for Water Search and Rescue

The use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or “drones” for a wide variety of operations and businesses has been dramatically increasing both nationally and internationally.  The drone regulatory environment in the United States continues to evolve. New drone capabilities and more effective ways to use these capabilities are constantly being developed and implemented. Drones have quickly become the most widely used tool for many industries. From Police and Fire Departments to agriculture and energy operations, drones have become essential to boosting safety and productivity.

How does this important capability improve the SAR planner’s ability to search for persons in distress? Which drone is appropriate and most effective for a search based on the circumstances of the case? How does the SAR Mission Coordinator (SMC)/Incident Commander (IC) gain approval to use drones for a particular SAR operation? These are challenging questions that must be answered before contemplating the use of UAS in a particular SAR mission.

SAR Coordinators (SCs), SMCs/ICs, State, Tribal, Territorial/Insular Area, local SAR authorities, and volunteers interested in using UAS for SAR will also find important information and guidance in this Addendum in the development, management, and operation of their UAS programs.

What About Drones for Water Search and Rescue

Over the past few years, there has been an increasing interest in using Drones in support of water search and rescue.  Regardless of the type of water from flood, river, swiftwater, coastal, ocean, surf or ice, a drone can be another valuable tool in your toolbox to effectively, efficiently and most important of all safely assist with the conduct water search and rescue operations.

However, there is little evidence that they are used in a structured and strategic manner to best effect. An effective response is essential if lives are to be saved and suffering alleviated.

"In order to realize the true value of a drone’s capabilities in water search and rescue, Drone Pilots and SAR authorities from the Incident Commander (IC) on down need to gain experience by employing drones on actual SAR operations and in training.  Only then will you realize that drones provide another tool in the toolbox for the Incident Commanders that can and will prove invaluable."

A search and rescue drone used by emergency services, such as police officers, firefighters or volunteer rescue teams, is ideal for searching over vast areas for missing persons in need of rescue and in any environment.  Search times can be significantly reduced while limiting potential risk to the party being rescued as well as rescuers. There are many options and benefits to using drones for water search and rescue.

With a lifetime in all water environments to include coastal, ocean, surf, swiftwater, flood and ice rescue, safety, and over ten years in drone operations for public safety. SAS Water Safety and EMMU Aerial’s instructors can help your agency evaluate how drones can be used in the preparation for, and response to all water search and rescue emergencies.  We can also provide assistance with all your training requirements and develops standard operating procedures (SOP) for their deployment before, during and after an event.

The Drones for Water Search and Rescue Course was developed and designed to be taught in a three day format with 1 day classroom and 2 days situational field / flight training, where students already have a FAA Part 107 with basic flight knowledge and experience in land search and rescue. Students will gain knowledge and practical experience in hydrology and moving water dynamics, pre-planning, size-up, site control, scene management, drone platforms and payloads, aerial search techniques, rescue mission support, thermal imaging, night operations and lost person behavior. The course will enable the students to identify clearly their own limitations as well as those of the equipment, so that they will be able to utilize drones more safely and effectively.

Contact SAS Water Safety or EMMU Aerial today for more information on integrating drones into water search and rescue.

 

EMMU Aerial: Butte County SAR uses new drone to help rescue man...

EMMU Aerial: Butte County SAR uses new drone to help rescue man...:   BUTTE COUNTY, Calif.  - The Butte County Search and Rescue (SAR) team rescued a driver stuck in flood waters on Wednesday. SAR responded...

Santa Cruz County crews hop on jet skis to rescue stranded homeowners

Crews in Santa Cruz County hop on jet skis to rescue stranded homeowners on the San Lorenzo River in Felton Grove.

2019 SEA-DOO SEARCH AND RESCUE (SAR) IS READY TO RESPOND

Sea-Doo went all out with its 2019 Search and Rescue units (SAR). According to Sea-Doo, the SAR watercraft includes the specific features you need in order to respond to life threatening situations. The machines are ideal for rescue situations involving surf, whitewater rafting, floods, or use along rocky coasts. They are equipped with Sea-Doo’s Off-Throttle Assisted Steering to give the operator more maneuverability when laying off the throttle. This helps in aiding people in distress and will also assist in maneuverability in out of tight spaces. It also adds an additional steering effect to the steering mechanism. Read More

Jet Ski Rescue Hurricane Harvey Texas

Great work as always from tthe professionals at K38

Assisting the Frisco and Plano Fire Departments and Fairview Firefighters from Strike team 122 with an in progress rescue of their swifwater incident. K38 Team Leader Shawn Alladio performing a swift water rescue 9/1/2017 in the Vidor area of Orange County Texas, Thank you for the Facebook LIVE capture of this event Patrick Ingram who was a vital team member, thank you for all your support Patrick. Kawasaki USA #JetSki

Our team had just arrived on the Interstate 10 overpass direct from California when one of the firemen responsible for working the swiftwater rescue ran over to our vehicle and said he needed a Jet Ski to get this man out of the strainer. Michael Spencer immediately drove the Jet Ski trailer to the submerged section of the Interstate near the onramp and the team quickly removed the Jetski with the help of Justin Wilson from Texas. Shawn while still in her clothes, grabbed a helmet, lifejacket and a pair of work gloves and drove to the scene and brought the man out.

Incidentally over a dozen vessels ended up in the treeline of which each subsequent day the water flow increased and the strainers became more deadly. There were multiple fire departments assisting this incident, we thank them for all the work they did during this flood event. The fireman gave excellent commands and were methodical in thier approach to working with us without introduction or knowledge of our team capability. They gave us a lot of trust as an unproven asset and we thank them.

Navy SEAL Lessons Learned for Water Rescue Operations

 

It is mid-August 2016, and Louisiana is inundated with a flood of Biblical proportions.  According to press reports, the ceaseless rain has killed at least 13, and forced tens of thousands more from their homes.  More than two feet of rain has fallen over the course of five days, and forecasts show more possibly coming, which can lead to even more flash flooding.  There is basically nowhere for the water to go.

Press reports have also stated that more than 30,000 people have been rescued in the flooding, surely making it one of the country’s largest water rescue operations in history, though I have not seen the statistics to back that claim up.

As a currently-serving member of a municipal water rescue team myself, by way of my city’s paid-professional fire department, that number sounds incredible.  In this author’s head, I envision countless water rescue teams, augmented by many civilians in their own boats, spread across the state of Louisiana, picking people off of submerged cars, the roofs of submerged houses, and possibly even from half-submerged trees.

Read more; SOFREP

Great flood of 2016, Louisiana flooding, animal Rescue of Dogs by Cajun Navy

 

Shirley was trapped in the rising flood waters. We had to remove her from the flooded home along with all of her dogs. Cajun Navy at work. Louisiana Flood Footage. 

Welcome To Rescue 3 International

 

Rescue 3 International was founded in 1979 after a California search and rescue team nearly lost one of its own during a water rescue. Nearly 40 years later our mission remains the same: to provide flood, water, and rope rescue training to individuals and organizations with an emphasis on ways to keep rescuers from becoming victims. As a result, Rescue 3 has risen to become the recognized leader in water and flood rescue, training over 300,000 students throughout the U.S. and 50 foreign countries. Known for our dynamic curriculum and utilizing state of the art techniques. Rescue 3 is constantly developing new and innovative rescue techniques, improving on old techniques, and working with manufacturers to develop equipment to meet rescuers’ needs.

One thing that sets us apart is our dedication to providing students with practical, real-world experience. To this end, all of Rescue 3’s instructors are professionals working in the disciplines they teach. Our instructors include paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and search and rescue team members, as well as river guides and military personnel. While Rescue 3’s instructors come from a wide variety of fields, they all share a passion for saving lives and teaching others to do the same.

SAS Water Safety has been working with and instructing Rescue 3 courses for over 30 years from Swiftwater Rescue to Low to High Angle Rescue, Aviation Aquatic Rescue and as Personal Watercraft Rescue Instructor Trainer.

Rescue 3 International is the largest accrediting body for Technical Rescue programs in the world. Rescue 3 International develops curriculum and accredits training programs across various Technical Rescue Disciplines, including water, technical rope and rigging, ice, boat, confined space, and medical.

Curriculum Development

Rescue 3 International has a worldwide cadre of industry experts who are constantly developing and refining our curriculum. All courses are reviewed by our Steering Committee, Regional Directors, and a group of industry experts to make sure we are teaching the most current and up to date courses and techniques available.

Accreditation

Rescue 3 International has a multitude of instructors and organizations teaching our program across the globe. Each Authorized Training Provider must meet a series of prerequisites, attend training, and pass a number of quality assurance checks before being granted the ability to teach our courses. Then, in order to maintain their status, each organization must meet a set of yearly criteria, which includes quality assurance reviews and instructor updates.

Becoming a Rescue 3 Training Provider is not easy, but we believe that it’s what sets us apart.