Course Date

May 16th - 17th, 2022

Location

Bird River, MB

Who Is This Course For

Professional river guides, instructors, intermediate to advanced river runners.

Prerequisites

Current Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) Level III or equivalent* certification, 16+ years.

Details

You can re-certify your Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) Level III certification by taking this 2-day Recertification (WRT-Recert) course within 3 years of your last certification. You must complete a pre-course prep assignment by the start of the course. Please bring your current certification card with you to your course. You can also re-take the 4-day course if you would like even more practice.

Get 2 full days of skills practice and challenging simulations. Review standard rescue techniques and get introduced to new ideas. Gain hands-on experience performing effective rescues with limited resources.

The WRT-Recert is for those with current Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) III, Swiftwater Rescue Technician (SRT), or equivalent certification.

You’ll do a pre-course prep assignment to help refresh your skills and knowledge from previous training.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain experience and confidence through 2 full days of drills and challenging simulations
• Get tons of hands-on practice with professional instructors, a great learning environment, and a well-run course
• Review and refresh your existing skills and add more techniques to your rescue ‘toolbox’
• Increase your proficiency carrying out effective rescues with limited resources when river running

Take Away Materials

• Certification card
• Practical evaluation record sheet
• Whitewater Rescue Technician sticker
• Waterproof course manual: Whitewater Rescue Field Guide

Topics Covers

Knowledge

• General concepts of whitewater and swiftwater rescue
• Personal and group equipment
• River safety and scene management
• River signals and communications
• River features and hydrology
• Related medical topics: drowning and hypothermia

Basic skills

• Swimming in moving water: self rescue and whitewater manoeuvres
• Throw ropes
• Contact rescues
• Quick release safety harness and ‘live bait’ rescue
• Rescue of panicked subjects
• Shallow water crossing techniques
• Knots, anchors, and basic tensioning systems
• ‘Strainer’ swim? – This is not done in the WRT-Recert or Bridge course. It is expected that you have done this awareness-building activity in your introductory whitewater or swiftwater rescue course

Advanced Skills

• Transportation systems
• Advanced anchors and compound mechanical advantage systems
• Supervised swim in a hole and hole rescue
• Advanced swimming, throwing, and ‘live-bait’ rescues

Rescue problems & scenarios

• Advanced foot and body entrapment
• Canoe, kayak, and raft pins and wraps
• Team rescue drills and extended simulations

Course Format and Overview

Daily schedule

After registering, you’ll receive a ‘student information package’ with specific meeting times for your course. Typically class starts at 8:30am and goes to 6:30pm.

Attendance is mandatory

Attendance for 100% of class time is mandatory. If you can’t make a session you need permission from the instructor in advance. Students who miss a section of the course without pre-approval may be asked to leave the course.

Assessment and evaluation for certification

One of the most valuable aspects of Boreal River Rescue – Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) Level III certification is that it includes a practical evaluation. This proves that an individual holding the certification has demonstrated competency with their river rescue skills and not simply attended a workshop.

The assessment takes place on the river in a supportive, fun, and professional environment with the goals of evaluation, review, and continued learning. Students will get multiple chances to demonstrate competency with their skills. To achieve the WRT Level III certification students need to:

Your certification is valid for 3 years from the date of issue.

To achieve the WRT Level III certification students need to:

• Attend all sessions and participate throughout the course
• Demonstrate an understanding of river safety and river rescue skills
• Pass the practical evaluation on the last day

Equipment & Clothing to Bring

This is a general list of what to bring for a WRT-Recert course. Please refer to your ‘student information package’ (emailed to you once you register) for a complete list specific to your course.

*Rental Equipment Is Available. Please call us at 204-783-9555 is you need to add any of the following to your enrolment:

Wetsuits = $55.00 + tax
Helmets = $10.00 + tax
Rescue PDF = $35.00 + tax

For the river:

• Whitewater helmet – You can rent one from us for the whole course for $10 CAD.
• Whitewater rescue PFD (personal flotation device) with quick-release harness – Needs to be in good condition and fit properly. You can rent a rescue PFD from us for the whole course for $35 CAD—it comes equipped with a knife, whistle, and quick release harness.
• River shoes – closed toe with full toe coverage that are supportive but also lightweight and draining with a grippy sole. This could be a model made specifically for the river or a lightweight running shoe. Neoprene shoes can work if they have enough support and traction but neoprene socks or booties are not adequate.
• Wetsuit or drysuit – One of these is necessary for courses before mid-June or past mid-September in eastern or central North America. You’ll always need one on glacier-fed rivers. You can rent a full length wetsuit (4mm with fleece lining and full arms and legs) from us for the whole course for $55 CAD.
• Base layers, insulation, and socks – Make sure to have several layers of socks, pants, and tops made of wool, fleece, polyester, or another synthetic material to wear in addition to your wetsuit or drysuit (or to be worn on their own on sunny days and in warm water).
• Surf shorts
• Rash guard
• Snacks, lunch, and water bottle or thermos – Keeping yourself fueled with calories is one of the keys to staying warm and happy. We usually don’t stop for a long lunch break but instead, take several shorter eating breaks throughout the day so it is good to bring lots of food and things that don’t require much preparation on the side of the river. Also make sure to have some high calorie snacks that you can keep in your PFD pocket.
• Sunscreen, lip protection and bug repellent
• Neoprene gloves (optional)
• Neoprene head warmer (optional)
• Camera (optional)
• Sunglasses or prescription glasses with strap (optional)

For on land:

• Comfortable clothing
• Comfortable shoes
• Tuque (warm hat), gloves, or mitts for early and late season courses
• Sun hat, visor, or baseball cap
• Raingear
• Gear bag or container to store your equipment for transport
• Day pack or drybag to store your belongings during class
• Pens and notepad

Consider the following items but refer to the ‘student information package’ for your course to see the accommodation options available and a more specific list:

• Meals and cooking equipment
• Camping equipment or bedding
• Towel
• Personal hygiene products and medications
• Indoor clothing and shoes

Course Equivalents Chart

Whitewater Rescue (WWR) Level II

Equivalent courses

• River Safety and Rescue
• Swiftwater Rescue Operations – Rescue 3 International
• Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Operations – Rescue Canada
• Rescue for River Runners 1 – (r3rec)

Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) Level III

Equivalent courses

• Swiftwater Rescue Technician (SRT) – Rescue 3 International
• Swiftwater/Flood Rescue Technician Standard – Rescue Canada
• Level 5 Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Tech – American Canoe Association
• Rescue for River Runners Professional (r3pro)