Ice Rescue Technician

Rescue

Private

Public

No public dates available

Consider a private booking

Private Courses

Overview

This 2 day Ice Rescue Technician (IRT) course is valuable training for emergency responders who may have to venture onto surface ice to perform a rescue.

In a rescue situation, it is already clear that the ice is unsafe, and therefore this course does not spend a lot of time on ice formation and determining it’s strength. Rather, the emphasis is on self rescue and the full range of techniques and specialized equipment that can be used for rescuing others. The curriculum also includes the significant medical considerations for patient packaging and extrication posed by cold water immersion.

This course also includes an overview of skills and knowledge necessary for responding to incidents on surface ice over moving water, but for those who can expect a high frequency of callouts on large volume rivers with open leads, we suggest adding our Advanced single day to this two-day IRT course.

Note: This course is the standard-of-care for emergency responders who respond to incidents on surface ice. It meets and exceeds the NFPA 2500 and 1006 Standards.

Ice Rescue Technician Course Details

Duration

2 days (16 hours)

Format

1 day classroom, 1 day on the ice

Participants

Minimum 10. Maximum 12.

Prerequisites

18+ years of age
Basic swimming ability
In good physical condition

Price

$415

Recertification

Repeat the entire course at a 15% discount every three years

Annual Training Maintenance

Click here to read about the options available for annual guided practice

Required Equipment

Drysuit, survival suit, or thick (5mm+) wetsuit*
Personal Flotation Device (Type III or V)*
Water-sport helmet*

* Rental equipment available

Takeaways & Documentation

Surface Ice Safety & Rescue Field Guide
Personalized skill sheet (training record) signed by the instructor
Wallet card with personal Rescue 3 registration number and date of certification
Registration in Rescue 3 International’s database
Certificate of completion

IRT Course Outline

Classroom

Rescue Philosophy
Overview NFPA standards (optional)
Size up
Management, team organization, and pre-planning
Medical considerations of cold injuries (cold water immersion, hypothermia, etc.)
Ice processes, formation and properties
Rescuer safety
Gear and equipment
Communications and signals
Animal handling (optional)
Knots, hitches and special rope considerations

On Ice

Walking, snowmobiling and driving on ice
Ice staff
Self rescue techniques including use of ice picks
Shore-based rescue techniques
Anchoring and mechanical advantage
Go rescues including live bait
Continuous loop
Sled or boat-based techniques
Using mechanical advantage on heavy loads

Optional on ice Advanced add-on

FAQ

Click here for more details including what to expect and how to prepare

We also offer this as a private course

Our private training courses ensure personalized hands-on training through human-based scenarios

Private Courses

Training Maintenance

If you have a group that would like to review their training together, the training maintenance program may be right for you.

Your group pays the instructor’s daily teaching fee and travel costs associated with bringing the instructor to your training location, along with an annual fee to be part of the maintenance program. This is generally a pretty reasonable approach for training departments because:

it allows us to deliver the training in small chunks every year, rather than in one big chunk every three years
it gives department members more annual hands-on time with their skills
new members can integrate into maintenance programs by jumping on an open course from our public schedule

We track your members, and their status on course content completion within a three year cycle, which mirrors a traditional three year recertification cycle. It’s an excellent value for the cost, and allows you to review your skills in your own backyard.

The training maintenance program replaces the need to recertifiy your training on a traditional three year recertification cycle.

This is an option to audit, or participate in a course for which you already hold a current certification – at no charge.

Take a look at our upcoming course schedule online and find a course location and time that works for you. Email or call us to sign up as an audit. Show up and take the course. It’s that simple.

Free audits do not extend your certification period in any way, but this is a great way to re-fresh your skills on a regular basis, in a safe, controlled environment with a qualified, insured instructor.

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