This 40 hour technician program is a comprehensive boat operations course delivered on the IRB and Jon boat platform in static and dynamic water, up to class 3 whitewater.  During the course, students learn the fundamentals of hydrology and how it relates to boat operation, design, and construction.  Other skills covered are operation and maintenance of inflatable and aluminum boats and outboard engines, SAR theory and techniques utilizing the IRB and GPS, self rescue and victim recovery strategy and techniques.  Using both paddles and outboard engines, students will get 4 days of hands on skills development evolutions, emphasizing: use and avoidance of hydraulics, ferrying and pinning drills in various current flows, towing, docking, pacing and crew transfer, self recovery and victim pickup and recovery sequences, throwbagging from an IRB, and deploying a rescue swimmer from an IRB.  Other exercises include a night search and rescue simulation and multiple scenario situations, that allow the students to integrate their newly developed skills in realistic rescue simulations. 

Students will receive the new CA State Fire Training 40 hour R&FRT Boat certificate.  FEMA US&R members may also get their taskbook signed off for IRB and Jon Boat in this course.

Prerequisites:  DBAW Safe Boater Certification and Swiftwater Rescue Certificate or SFT River and Flood Rescue Tech Certificate *Please contact our instructors with prereq questions prior to registering*

Required PPE:

* Helmet
* Live Bait Type V PFD
* Wetsuit or Drysuit
* Water Shoes
* Gloves