Course Content
NFPA 1006 Swift Water Rescue Awareness
The swift water rescue awareness course builds upon the foundational knowledge acquired during the surface water rescue awareness course. You will learn about river hydrology and its specific hazards, pre-planning swift water environments, and expanding on an approach to rescue as an awareness-level trained responder.
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Module 1: Swift Water Rescue – Course Introduction
00:00
Quiz 1
00:15:00
Module 2: Swift Water Rescue – Hydrology
Quiz 2
Module 3-1: Swift Water Rescue – Pre-planning
00:00
Module 3-2: Swift Water Rescue – Pre-planning
00:00
Module 3-3: Swift Water Rescue – Pre-planning
00:00
Quiz 3.
Module 4-1: Swift Water Rescue – Introduction to Rescue
00:00
Module 4-2: Swift Water Rescue – Introduction to Rescue
00:00
Quiz 4
Review – 18.1.1 – Hazard recognition and incident information
Review – 18.1.2 – PPE and safety practices
Review – 18.1.3 – Site control and scene management
Review – 18.1.4 – Hydrology and environment
Activities
Preplanning activities for water rescue focus on identifying risks, resources, and response strategies before an incident occurs so that operations are fast, coordinated, and safe for both rescuers and victims. A solid preplan turns an unpredictable water emergency into a managed event by reducing uncertainty about locations, access, equipment, and roles. ## Purpose of pre-planning Pre-planning aims to anticipate where and how water incidents are likely to occur, then match those risks with trained personnel, equipment, and clear procedures. By doing this work in advance, agencies can minimize time-to-action, improve rescuer safety, and increase the likelihood of successful rescue or recovery. Key pre-planning elements Core pre-planning activities include mapping and documenting bodies of water, access points, hazards, and typical uses (recreation, boating, dams, bridges, etc.). They also include identifying required resources (boats, PPE, throw devices, ropes, mutual aid), defining staging areas, and building incident action templates for common scenarios such as missing swimmers, vehicles in water, and flood events. Integration with training and operations Effective water-rescue pre-plans must be shared, trained on, and tested through drills so that crews can execute them under time pressure and changing conditions. Regular review and updating of pre-plans—after incidents, seasonal changes, or infrastructure updates—keeps them accurate and ensures they remain a practical tool rather than a static document.
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Pre-Plan Checklist and Activities
Private: NFPA 1006 Swift Water Rescue Awareness

Key elements of a water rescue preplan include clear site information, defined access and staging, identified hazards, and pre-arranged resources and roles. Together, these give crews a common picture of the site and a ready-made framework for command, control, and safe operations.

Site and access information

  • Exact name(s) of the body of water, GPS coordinates, and common local names.

  • Marked access points for personnel and boats, plus alternative launch sites if primary access is blocked.

  • Pre-designated staging areas for apparatus, EMS, and technical rescue resources, including downstream safety positions on moving water.

Hazards and environmental data

  • Known hazards such as currents, hydraulics, strainers, low-head dams, weirs, bridge piers, drop-offs, and underwater obstructions.

  • Seasonal and operational considerations: typical water levels, temperature, ice conditions, flood behaviour, and visibility issues (night, fog, shore vegetation).

Resources, roles, and procedures

  • Required minimum staffing, specialized teams (dive, boat, ice, rope), and mutual-aid or law enforcement partners with contact details.

  • Standard operational templates: incident command location, zones (hot/warm/cold), PPE requirements, downstream safety setup, and preferred rescue options by risk level (reach/throw/boat/entry).

Communications and mapping

  • Radio channels, interoperability plans, and a simple site map showing access routes, launch points, landmarks (bridges, dams), and sectioned areas for search or containment.

  • Checklists for size-up, resource requests, and crew briefings to ensure consistent implementation of the preplan under stress.

 

Exercise Files
Water-Rescue-Pre-plan-Checklist.pdf
Size: 265.13 KB
Module-3-Activity-1.pdf
Size: 229.87 KB
Module-3-Activity-2.pdf
Size: 220.31 KB
Module-3-Activity-3.pdf
Size: 219.91 KB
Module-3-Activity-4.pdf
Size: 220.13 KB
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