Floods and Moving Water training now open for registration
Marquette, MI June 23-25, 2023
Floods and Moving Water is Dive Rescue International’s renowned 24-hour training program for dive teams,
water rescue teams, law enforcement officers, and fire service personnel.
Floods are one of the leading causes of loss of life and property throughout the world. In recent years
this type of natural disaster has become a more common scenario and communities are demanding their
rescue providers be prepared. Due to the potentially enormous scope of a flooding incident, planning is
critical to your team’s success. Floods can vary in duration and intensity, but many of the concepts for
conducting rescue and recovery operations are similar.
Prepare for these special hazards by learning how to organize and manage safe floodwater rescue
operations. Participants in this program should be prepared for multiple in-water scenarios.
Key training topics and the associated objectives include:
- FLOODS
- FLOOD HAZARDS
- CHARACTERISTICS OF FLOODING WATER
- RESCUE HAND SIGNALS
- EQUIPMENT
- FUNDAMENTAL FLOOD RESCUE TECHNIQUES
- GENERAL PATIENT CARE
- PREPLANNING
- DURING A FLOOD EVENT
- POST FLOOD EVENT
BE SURE TO BRING
All students should bring: clothing appropriate for weather conditions, adequate footwear, watersports
helmet, and U.S. Coast Guard approved PFD (Type III or V) with whistle and cutting tool, and pen and
paper. In-water participants must provide their own wetsuit or swiftwater dry suit, water rescue gloves, work
gloves and fins.
PREREQUISITES
All students must be a current member of a public safety agency and at least 18 years of age. This program
is designed for personnel who are physically fit. Participants are encouraged to participate after successfully
completing the IADRS Watermanship Test or testing to a fitness level of 13 MET (Metabolic Equivalents)
or greater. Participants with aerobic fitness questions or concerns should consult their physician prior to
in-water training. Participants who have poor aerobic fitness may attend this program as surface support
personnel with the approval of the instructor.
Estimated Schedule
DAY 1
8:00 – 8:30 Registration, Introductions, and Course Review
8:30 – 12:00 Classroom
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch Break
1:00 – 5:00 Field Exercises
DAY 2
8:00 – 12:00 Field Exercises
12:00 – 1:00 Lunch
1:00 – 5:00 Field Exercises
DAY 3
8:00 – 2:00 Field Exercises
2:00 – 3:00 Lunch
3:00 – 5:00 Review, Final Exam, and Closing
Boulder, Colorado September 17, 2013 — FEMA’s Urban Search & Rescu team (NE-TF-1) conducts swift water searches in left hand canyon. Photo: Michael Rieger/FEMA