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

EMMU Aerial: Friendship Fire Company Diving-Rescue Unit of Phoenixville, Chester County, PA Launches Two New Search & Rescue Drones

EMMUAerial: Friendship Fire Company Diving-Rescue Unit of Phoe...:   Always great to see a fire department utilize drones with their value as another tool in the toolbox for search and rescue in a water or marine environment.

 Phoenixville, PA - April 17th, 2023 - In March 2023, Friendship Fire Company Diving-Rescue Unit, Chester County, PA Station 77, a 501c3 non-profit, based in Phoenixville PA, received and will be placing into service a weather resistant DJI Matrice 30t drone with thermal capabilities and a waterproof SwellPro Splash Drone 4 with lifting capabilities.

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.

National Guard supports joint water rescue exercise

 

SMYRNA, Tenn. – Members from the Tennessee National Guard, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, Nashville Fire Department, Rutherford County's StormPoint Emergency Response team and others participated in a joint water rescue exercise April 9.

Tennessee's Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team, a joint rescue crew with a Tennessee National Guard UH-60L Black Hawk helicopter and aircrew with rescue personnel from the Nashville Fire Department, practiced rescuing drowning victims in Stewarts Creek.

"It's critical that we all train together," said Lt. Col. Jay Jackson, the military liaison for TEMA. "Doing this with people you've never met would be dangerous during a real world emergency, especially in hazardous conditions. That's not when we should be working together for the first time."

During the training event, the Tennessee National Guard helicopter crew lowered a Nashville Fire Department diver into the lake by hoist. The diver swam to the victims, provided aid, and readied them for rescue. Strapping the victims to the rescue strop, diver hooking themselves to the rescue cable and hoisted out of the water into the hovering helicopter. The crew simulated first aid as the survivors were airlifted to the nearest hospital.

"These exercises allow us to streamline the process and strengthen the relationships between the Tennessee National Guard and our state and local partners," said Jackson. "It is all meant to ensure that we are ready to respond to emergencies and protect our fellow citizens. Some of these maneuvers can be dangerous, especially during inclement weather, and we need to be ready."

This year's exercise included an additional element: an unmanned aerial systems team from StormPoint Emergency Response who provided a live feed of the training to the state operations center. Additionally, the team completed a mission delivering life vests to the simulated drowning victims before the HART team's arrival."Our job during this training exercise was to provide situational awareness for the water rescue exercise," said Russell Bradshaw, StormPoint Emergency Response executive director. "We were able to use the drone to locate the victims and provide coordinates and information for the inbound rescue team."

This new capability enhances the Tennessee National Guard's ability, along with local and state partners, to respond to numerous situations, including difficult-to-reach accident sites and major natural disasters, rapidly.

"This new joint capability for Tennessee not only benefits Tennesseans in the event of a disaster but will also be a deployable resource to neighboring states in the event of a disaster out of our area," said Jackson.

The HART team has already completed a successful mission. In October 2020, an injured hiker in North Carolina was successfully hoisted and transported safely to the nearest hospital.

Shared from the US Army

First-ever indoor swiftwater rescue training facility opens in Austin

 Located in Austin Texas, Fathom Academy is a technologically advanced water training facility designed to improve flood and swiftwater rescue response and first responder techniques. Visit us at www.fathomacademy.com for more information.

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.

River Rescues With Jet Ski Legend Eric Chretien

 

When I introduce Eric Chretien to people in the river surfing community I always introduce him as Monkey and then proceed to tell them that Monkey is the world’s best jet ski support driver for any river. Eric, being the modest person that he is, corrects me and and says, ‘actually it’s Eric, and he’s just joking’. Joking or not, Monkey’s resume is world class and when talking river surfing he stands above and beyond anyone else as the man you can trust with your life.

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

5 Steps To A Safe Ice Rescue

 

Proper firefighter training, equipment, technique and awareness can reduce the dangers of ice rescues

In water rescue, there is a universally accepted rescue sequence:

1. Self rescue
2. Reach
3. Throw
4. Row
5. Go

Rescuers should be qualified and trained to perform the task they are preparing to undertake.

ANALYZE THE ICE RESCUE ENVIRONMENT

To avoid getting too in-depth about swift water environments, we'll focus on ice rescue on static or slow-moving current. I am a strong proponent of stating that a "go" rescue should never be performed on ice in which the water current is flowing greater than 1 knot without having some extraordinary conditions and precautions in place. 

This would include some very experienced and certified rescue swimmers, standby ice divers, water crafts, down-river rescuers, breach points in the ice and a very savable victim.

When we analyze this scene, we are trying to identify the victim, the victim's condition, any hazards present and the condition of the ice. If we can't locate the victim, we are looking for the hole in the ice, any tracks on the ice surface and any competent witness. 

When assessing the ice, we are primarily evaluating the path that the victim traveled before falling through. This is the most reliable path to the victim because it has already been traveled and supported their weight. All other surfaces are unknown until walked. 

If the ice is unstable and has floating and slushy segments, immediately call for an inflatable platform from which we can launch a rescue. This can be as simple as a rescue sled or swim board or as elaborate as an airboat or hovercraft.

Read More; Fire Rescue 1 by Dalan Zartman

Rescuer Gets Swept Away During Swift Water Rescue in LA

 

A rescuer was swept away in the raging waters of the Los Angeles River Friday.

Video shows others trying to get the first responder out of the rushing water as he was moving rapidly past them.

Sea-Doo - Search and Rescue (SAR) River

 

SEA-DOO SAR, SEARCH AND RESCUE: An easy choice for tough situations.

When you are on a rescue mission, every detail counts. The all-new Sea-Doo SAR, a Search and Rescue watercraft, seamlessly combines the features you need to respond to life threatening situations.

It is designed for breathtaking rescue performances, from surf to whitewater, during a flood or along a rocky coast.

The Sea-Doo SAR watercraft excels in rescue missions but is also ideal for evacuation, surveillance and interception.

The SAR watercraft truly goes the extra mile. Because when lives are hanging in the balance, every detail counts.

Kayaker recounts dramatic Eagle River rescue

The Anchorage Fire Department Engineer Corey Roberts finishes making a cut in a sweeper as Paramedic Craig Paulus holds onto the victim during a swiftwater rescue on Eagle River on Sunday afternoon, Sept. 16, 2012. They freed the paddler who was trapped in a kayak that was pinned under a fallen tree by the rain swollen glacial fed river.

It's good to see all the training payoff for Eagle River Fire Department. SAS Water Safety taught several courses for both Eagle Rive and Anchorage FD in the 90's.

Clutching to a paddle that he had somehow jammed into debris beneath the frigid, rushing water, pinned and unable to free himself from his submerged kayak, Steve Rossberg wondered if anyone could hear the distress calls from his police whistle. After 90 minutes in the icy water, body numb, he could feel his will to survive ebbing. Then, with his head barely above water, he thought he saw someone on shore making a cell phone call. “I’ve got to hang on,” he thought. “I’ve got to hang on.”

These were some of the thoughts racing through Rossberg’s mind Sept. 16 after his kayak became lodged in a sweeper along the lower portion of Eagle River. He was experienced on Alaska’s rivers and had good equipment. But as he struggled to remain conscious and keep his focus, he was haunted by a single thought: “I underestimated the river.”

An avid outdoorsman, Rossberg was kayaking a three-mile stretch of Eagle River Sunday afternoon between the Hiland and Glenn Highway bridges. The river is tame in comparison to some of the other rivers he has run. He thought paddling the river alone would be no problem. He was wrong. This year’s high water has brought considerable debris down the river which only weeks ago was responsible for the death of two female canoeists.

At about one quarter mile from his pull out point at the Eagle River Campground, he made a critical error by paddling underneath a tree that was arching over the water. His kayak became stuck under a large log and he ended up pinned.

“There are two critical decisions that were wrong,” Rossberg says. “One was kayaking alone and two was going under that arched tree. It is good to have another person there to help with judging things — to bounce things off of. If I was with my paddle buddy, I probably would not have gone under that tree.”

He tried a number of things to free himself, including cutting himself out of the kayak with a knife, but finally resigned himself to the fact that he was not going to be able to get loose.

“I reached a point where I realized I needed to focus on the task at hand,” he says. “Conserve my energy, keep my head above water, breathe and blow my whistle.”

Initially he could see his kayak — it was about two inches under water. As time ticked on, the water pressure pulled it down and he was soon submerged up to his neck. He was in the water for 90 minutes, bracing himself with his paddle and blowing his whistle and losing strength. Then he saw something on shore. “The image is burned in my head,” Rossberg recalls. “I saw a guy in a blue coat and he was on a white phone making a call.”

A wave of hope washed over him. Maybe help was on the way.

And it was. The caller reached 911 and the dispatcher quickly contacted Eagle River’s Ladder 11, a branch of the Anchorage Fire Department. Responders immediately sprang into action, launched a boat from the campground and in minutes went upstream to the site. By the time they reached Rossberg, hypothermia had set in. They needed to get him out of the water within minutes. The rescue team had to take a chainsaw to the large tree to free him. By the time the responders pulled him out of the water it had been two hours since he had been pinned and his core body temperature had fallen to 90 degrees. He was quickly evacuated to an Anchorage hospital and has since made a full recovery.

Rossberg is a drilling manager for BP Alaska. Humbled by the experience, he recently held a town hall meeting at the company’s Anchorage office to explain the incident to employees and to properly thank the rescue team. He expressed his deep gratitude to the men, more than a dozen in all, who responded and saved his life in perilous conditions.

Following a discussion of the incident by the Ladder 11 team, one of the rescuers, Corey Roberts, said to Rossberg: “I don’t know if you knew at the time how close you were to dying, but I think you do now.”

Rossberg’s message to his co-workers was clear: “Learn from my mistakes.

“Don’t underestimate the risk. Prepare for the worst. Ask yourself do you have the right equipment, are you mentally and physically capable of surviving the worst case scenario?”

Rossberg said the rescuers’ high degree of training, their quick response, his training in the military, his remaining focused at the task at hand, having proper gear (he wore a dry suit with two layers underneath) having a bright green helmet and a two dollar whistle are what saved his life.

When asked if he will go kayaking again, he replied: “The doctor told me I’ve been sidelined for 10 days. When I do go back out, it won’t be alone.”

 Shared from the Alaska Star

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.