Safe Operating In Water for SAR Teams (SOIWSAR)
The SOIWSAR course is designed for Search and Rescue team members (eg Mountain Rescue and Lowland Rescue), who are tasked with intentional water entry, eg for river crossings, conditional rescues, or search in and around the water margins.
SAR teams who require a flood capability should take either the Swiftwater and Flood First Responder (SFR), or Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT) course.
Course length:
- 16 hours (2 days)
Prerequisites:
- Minimum age: 18
Accredited by:
Rescue 3 Europe
Course content includes
- Rescue 3 philosophy
- Training standards
- Best practice guidelines
- Hydrology and water hazards
- Additional hazards beyond the training scope
- Personal protective equipment for operating in water
- Technical and team equipment
- Pre-planning
- Risk assessments
- Incident size-up
- Incident management and site control
- Medical and decontamination considerations
- Considerations for night/poor visibility operations
- Mud, ice and unstable surface considerations
- Communications
- Swiftwater swimming techniques
- Strainer swim
- Conditional rescues – talk, reach, throw
- Shallow water techniques
- Casualty management
- People and equipment entrapments
- Introduction to searching rivers
Course standard, learning outcomes and key teaching points
Rescue 3 Europe course standards, learning outcomes and key teaching points
The course standards, learning outcomes and key teaching points are provided as pre- and post-course reference for people involved in the delivery of Rescue 3 courses (eg Rescue 3 training providers, instructors and students). They are not to be used for any other purpose without the express written permission of Rescue 3 Europe.
Qualification valid for:
- 3 years
Taught by:
- Safe Operating In Water for SAR Teams Instructor (SOIWSARI)
Recertification options
Instructor to student ratios
Student resources
Student resources for Rescue 3 courses can be accessed here.
Instructor resources
Instructor resources for Rescue 3 courses can be accessed here.
