Black Fox Rescue Institute offers courses for emergency responders requiring certifications for swiftwater rescue, technical rope rescue and surface ice rescue. Obtaining and maintaining certifications ensure that you and your agency can safely respond to emergencies in your jurisdiction.

Our courses are certified through Rescue 3 International and the certification meets or exceeds NFPA standards. Emergency responders can enroll in open courses, or you can schedule custom course dates that work best for your agency. Learn more…

Black Fox Rescue Institute offers courses and certification for professional river guides and recreational boaters. Each course combines theoretical and practical learning to help you master the skills you’ll need on the water whether you are guiding professionally or recreating for fun.

Our courses are certified through Rescue 3 International, Sierra Rescue or the American Canoe Association. Professional level certifications are recognized internationally. Enroll in an open course near you, or schedule custom dates for your group or staff. Learn more…

Black Fox Rescue Institute offers scheduled and custom courses for field researchers, industry professionals and government agency personnel. If you need or are required to hold an active certification for swift water rescue, technical rope rescue or surface ice rescue, you can find introductory or advanced courses offering certifications that satisfy US Government requirements. If your work takes you near the water or the ice, having a rescue skill set allows you to perform your work safely.

Our courses are certified through Rescue 3 International and Sierra Rescue. Register for an open course, or contact us to schedule custom dates for your group or staff. Learn more…

Whether your line of work is science, energy, or another similar industry, the outdoors brings as many challenges as it does rewards. We are here to help you get the training and skills you need to work safely in the field. We offer courses that address hazards encountered when working near the water, on the water, and on the ice.

HAZARD AWARENESS

PREVENTION

SELF RESCUE

COWORKER RESCUE

RESCUE USING EQUIPMENT THAT YOU REGULARLY CARRY

Our curriculum is based on years of experience with training students in moving water environments combined with additional feedback from our network of River Rescue and Rescue 3 Internationals instructor cadre. We are thrilled that you have shown interest in rescue education and look forward to working with you.

With a curriculum designed by international experts, this two-day course is specially designed for those already certified to the Swiftwater Rescue Technician level (current certification required). It explores the complexities and techniques of body recovery from shallow depth swiftwater environments.

This advanced course was developed by the New Zealand branch of Rescue 3 International based on input from subject experts around the globe. This course is the only one of its kind and has received international attention based on its comprehensive and thoughtful approach to the subject matter.

Courses can also be customized for body recovery in flat water.

This four day course examines the initial first response actions to be undertaken, progressing through to extended searching activities, and concludes with search suspension considerations.

It is specifically designed for agencies responding to water based searches but will also give the student a wider insight into the overall search management process. There is an emphasis on the development of in-water techniques appropriate to the flooded urban environment and river corridor searches. Particular emphasis is placed upon the use of mapping and GPS technology to interpret and manage the search area so that resources can be deployed appropriately. Safety considerations and dynamic risk assessment are emphasized throughout the class.

The Rescue from Vehicles in Water workshop is a specialist course for Swiftwater and Flood Rescue Technicians that explores the skills required to deal with car related rescues in Swiftwater and Floods. The course looks at vehicle behavior and stabilization in water, as well as access techniques and victim extrication. Vehicle hydrology, glass management, anchors, and weight transfer are all addressed in this two day, hands on clinic.

The Inland Rescue Swimmer is focused on the inland open water environment to include areas such as lakes or ponds of various sizes. Here the swimmer improves their swimming technique and is introduced to swimmer adjuncts. Safety of the swimmer is a high priority during this module while training for victims in the open water environment, including interventions and medical management. Students will practice both shore and boat based open water search techniques, as well as recovery of submerged victims.

Inland Rescue Swimmer Advanced is also offered.

This high level course is designed for management and command personnel from emergency response, municipalities, regional districts, and industry who are responsible for coordinating a response to major water rescue and flood incidents. The course provides the underlying knowledge and skills to successfully manage single or multi-agency operations within a jurisdiction’s existing emergency response framework.

The curriculum is designed to bridge the gap between the emergency planning process and the actual on-scene response—a combination of operational skills and knowledge that most other training does not address. Participants will learn practical, operational skills that they will draw upon continually before, during and after major incidents.

This course also includes an on-river session to teach the practical, self-rescue skills required in a moving water environment. This ensures that managers and commanders have the ability to operate in the “warm-zone” (on shore) in a safe, effective and efficient manner while they are on-scene.

This assessment provides independent verification of a student’s qualification as an NFPA 1006 Swiftwater and Rope Rescue Technician under NFPA 1006. This assessment is not an instructional course, but rather is a place for fully-trained rescuers to prove their competency.

Prior to sitting for the PQWR Assessment, candidates must complete a Taskbook, which is available by contacting Rescue 3 International.

The Rope Access for Emergency Responders course is aimed at members of technical rope rescue teams who want to become proficient in rope access techniques. This course is specifically aimed at emergency services and not for industrial technical rope rescue.

The Wind Turbine Access for Emergency Responders (WTAFER) course is for members of the rescue services who may need to perform a rescue at a wind turbine. Wind turbines pose some special challenges: they are often in rural areas and/or are difficult to reach. Those working on wind turbines may be in potentially confined spaces, where a rescue is a challenging task for fire and rescue services and other emergency responders. Due to its international relationships, where instructors face these challenges from different perspectives (safe working, fire and rescue), Rescue 3 has developed the Wind Turbine Access for Emergency Responders course to help organizations maintain high safety standards at all times. Rescue 3 provides an agreed international certified training program to their training providers and instructors, to help them provide up-to-date information in this rapidly growing market of renewable energy.

The Wind Turbine Access for Emergency Responders (WTAFER) course is for members of the rescue services who may need to perform a rescue at a wind turbine. Wind turbines pose some special challenges: they are often in rural areas and/or are difficult to reach. Those working on wind turbines may be in potentially confined spaces, where a rescue is a challenging task for fire and rescue services and other emergency responders. Due to its international relationships, where instructors face these challenges from different perspectives (safe working, fire and rescue), Rescue 3 has developed the Wind Turbine Access for Emergency Responders course to help organizations maintain high safety standards at all times. Rescue 3 provides an agreed international certified training program to their training providers and instructors, to help them provide up-to-date information in this rapidly growing market of renewable energy.

The Confined Space Entry and Rescue (CSER) course teaches participants to deal with a colleague who is incapacitated and requires rescue using simple techniques and industry standard equipment.

This course teaches personnel to operate safely and effectively during confined space rescues under the supervision of Confined Space Rescue Technician.

This course is designed to improve the safety and productivity of emergency responders faced with responding to confined space emergencies.

This course is for confined space rescue team members who already have completed a comprehensive basic training and want to continue to specialize.

This course integrates the most current technology and research on technical animal rescue from throughout the world and utilizes “discovery learning” to teach skills necessary to safely effect technical rescues in environments ranging up trees to down cliffs. The course covers philosophy of animal emergency management, basic and specialized animal and technical rope rescue equipment, ropes and hardware, safety considerations, scene management and organization, ascending and descending systems, personal system change-overs, belaying, lowering and raising systems, system change-overs, patient packaging and management, ladder and tree rescue operations, animal body language, animal handling and restraint, animal first aid, field euthanasia, and chemical capture.

Courses for Technical Animal Rescue in water are also available.

This course encompasses all that the Wilderness First Responder Course does, but with the additional focus on Urban Disasters. We will look at incidents such as floods, hurricanes, earthquakes, and other disasters that communities are faced with. There are scenarios dealing with Mass Casualty Incidents, triage, motor vehicle accidents and extraction. This is a 9-10 day course, includes a night search and many scenarios.

The Safe Working at Height course provides insight into the dangers that workers face when working at height.

Everyone who works at height may be faced with a colleague who has fallen and is hanging helplessly in his fall protection system. The Co-Worker Rescue at Height course teaches participants to deal with that situation.

This course integrates the most current technology and research on Rope Access Safety and Rescue from throughout the world, and utilizes “discovery learning” to teach skills necessary to safely effect work in and around towers.

This course integrates the most current technology and research on Industrial Rope Rescue and Safety from throughout the world.

This course integrates the most current technology and research on Tower Safety, Climbing, and Rescue from throughout the world, and utilizes “discovery learning” to teach skills necessary to safely effect work in and around towers.This course integrates the most current technology and research on Rope Access Safety and Rescue from throughout the world, and utilizes “discovery learning” to teach skills necessary to safely effect work in and around towers.

The Wind Turbine Operator course is for workers operating in and on wind turbines

The Confined Space Entry and Rescue (CSER) course teaches participants to deal with a colleague who is incapacitated and requires rescue from a confined space.

This course covers the what, how and why of gas detection. Attention will be paid to various types of gases, oxygen levels, explosion levels and safe working values.

This course builds upon the content in the Basic Air Monitoring (BAM) course, adding additional practical skills in the second day.

This course introduces the knowledge and skills required by personnel to operate safely and effectively during confined space rescues.