Water is a high-risk environment. Given that the nature of an emergency and speed to enter the water, the rescuer must have a mental checklist. All training aspects are covered in a controlled situation. Participants perform all skills in a pool for 2 days prior to entering into open water. All pool skills are then repeated in open water. Day 4 is scenario skills day where the participants perform simulated rescues over and over and over again.

THE FOLLOWING IS COVERED IN THE COURSE

· Need for a program

· Policy development

· Equipment

· Swim Evaluation

· Pool skills

· Medical removal of injured

· Open water skills

· Simulated Rescues

· Survival techniques

· Water confidence

· Drown proofing skills

· Multi-person search patterns

· Boat operations

Day 1

We start the day with quick introductions and then it’s off to the pool for an initial swim evaluation. 25 yard underwater swim, 225 surface swim, 15 min tread water with the last two minutes hands out. Then it’s off to water confidence rotations. Swim techniques, weight belt, mask-fin-snorkel use, underwater swimming, Breath hold drills, weight recovery, speed drills, underwater team exercises.

Day 2

Rescue Swimmer swim evaluation-25 yard u/w swim, 525 surface swim, 15 minute tread water-last two min hands out, 800 yard mask-fin snorkel swim, 5-free dives at 12 feet and tired swimmer assist of 100 yards. Now the day begins. Combat release drill, free-dive, entanglement, team searches, backboard of injured, uniform swim and survival, bobbing, breath hold drills.

Day 3

Initial pool swim in open water with uniform, survival techniques, car prop, open water swim, dock searches, boat operations, team search, combat drills, large area search, free dive station, marker buoy, scene evaluation, speed drills.

Day 4

Time to put it altogether. We start the day off with an open water swim and team searches in salt water followed by welcome to the Puget Sound drill. Now it’s off to the lake where the instructors have been busy setting simulated rescue situations based on actual water emergencies.