Ice Rescue Technician Advanced (IRTA)

For personnel who operate on frozen, large volume rivers with open leads.

The Ice Rescue Technician Advanced (IRTA) course covers all of the skills taught in Ice Rescue Technician (IRT), as well as addressing the substantially higher-risk environment encountered when working on large volume rivers with open leads.
Also covered are size up, risk analysis, and hazard mitigation, PPE considerations, self-rescue techniques, and throwbagging. Scenario-based training using both standard and improvised ice rescue equipment will be carried out.

This course can also be taught as a 1 day upgrade for students who have already completed the Ice Rescue Technician (IRT) course and hold an in-date Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT) qualificiation.

Contact hours

18 hours (3 days)

Prerequisites:

Course content includes

  • Rescue 3 philosophy
  • Training standards
  • Rescue 3 best practice guidelines
  • Risk management and rescuer safety
  • Ice properties, formations and types
  • Ice hazards
  • Hydrology
  • Personal protective equipment
  • Technical and team equipment
  • Management and pre-planning
  • Incident size-up
  • ICS and site control
  • Communications
  • Medical considerations
  • Animal rescue considerations
  • Knots, bends and hitches
  • Anchor systems
  • Tensioning systems and mechanical advantage
  • Ice testing procedures
  • Walking on ice
  • Self-rescue techniques
  • Conditional rescues
  • True rescues (contact rescues)
  • Rescue craft
  • Swimming techniques (swiftwater/ice river)
  • Mantle-based conditional rescues (swiftwater/ice river)
  • Mantle-based true rescues (swiftwater/ice river)
  • Mantle-based craft rescues (swiftwater/ice river)
  • Off-mantle rescuer-based rescues (swiftwater/ice river)
  • Off-mantle craft-based rescues (swiftwater/ice river)
  • Downstream containment strategies
  • Scenarios
  • Inflated fire hose (if used by agency)
  • Ladder rescue techniques (if used by agency)
  • Co-worker rescue (one person rescue techniques) (if used by agency)
  • Rope assisted self-rescue/belay techniques (if used by agency)
  • Equipment recovery strategies (if used by agency)

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:

Student resources

The Ice Rescue Field Guide is available to buy.

Instructor resources

Instructor resources for Rescue 3 courses can be accessed here.

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Related Courses

Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technician (SRT)

Ice Rescue Technician (IRT)