Your Guide to Certification, Compliance, and Standards

Rescuer on a boulder about to throw a rope to a swimmer in the river rapids
Close-up of hiking boots walking along a sunlit forest trail

Be Competent.
Be Qualified.
Be Ready.

Your certificate means something. This page explains why.

This page is for students, employers, and anyone who wants to know exactly what Rescue Canada training represents. Your certificate is backed by internationally recognized standards. Here is what that looks like in practice.

Qualifications

Rescue Canada offers 7 levels of certification.

The seventh level of qualification is a separate certification process for night qualification. Student qualification certificates are valid for a period of one (1), two (2) or three (3) years.

The certification time period is based upon the standards requirements per discipline. Instructorship qualification is valid annually upon policy review. After three years the qualification is terminated. Certificate holders are required to maintain their records of compliance as outlined in their course materials for the period of their license.

Swiftwater rescue student in a yellow helmet throwing a rope bag across a river
A
AWARENESS
Achievement: Student-Instructor- Adjunct-A
ATTENDANCE
Africa (AF)
1 – I
PARTICIPANT
Attendance: Student-Instructor Level I
MANAGEMENT
North America (NA)
2 -II
MANAGEMENT
Understanding: Student-Instructor Level II
OPERATIONS
South America (SA)
3 – III
OPERATIONS
Participation: Student-Instructor Level III
TECHNICIAN
Asia (AS)
4 – IV
TECHNICAL
Completion: Student-Instructor Level IV
SPECIALIST
Europe (EU)
5 – V
SPECIALIST
Performance
EXPERT
Oceania (OC)

Qualification Revocation

Certifications can be revoked due to negligence or the certificate holder refusal to employ the methods and standards entrusted in their care. This is a formal process of inquiry and investigation based off of negligence, or injury-accident with committee review and remedial courses of action.

Remedial courses of action can be associated with mandatory peer mentorship or training attendance of the course materials to evaluate the certificate holder.

Swiftwater rescue technicians in helmets and drysuits working beside a log in a fast creek

Standards

Rescue Canada provides a variety of services and courses with reciprocal standards per course activity.

ISO 31000 and Enhanced Risk Management

ISO 31000 acknowledges the importance of incessant improvement of risk management strategies. As per ISO 31000, the five features of enhanced risk management are:

  1. Continual improvement
  2. Full accountability for risks
  3. Application of risk management in all decision making
  4. Continual communications
  5. Full integration in the organization’s governance structure
Risk Management

As per ISO 31000, risk is “The effect of uncertainty on objectives” whereas risk management is “coordinated activities to direct and control and organization with regard to risk”. It again elaborates risk management framework as a “set of components that provide the foundations and organizational arrangements for designing, implementing, monitoring, reviewing and continually improving risk management processes throughout the organization”.

According to ISO 31000, risk management process is a “systematic application of management policies, procedures and practices to the tasks of communication, consultation, establishing the context, identifying, analyzing, evaluating, treating, monitoring and reviewing risk”.

ISO 31000 consists of 11 key principles which view risk management as an elementary process of generating success of the organization. These eleven principles can be regarded as the “essential qualities” required for risk management.

  1. Principle 1: Risk management creates and protects value
  2. Principle 2: Risk management is an integral part of the organizational procedure
  3. Principle 3: Risk management is part of decision making
  4. Principle 4: Risk management explicitly addresses uncertainty
  5. Principle 5: Risk management is systematic, structured and timely
  6. Principle 6: Risk management is based on the best available information
  7. Principle 7: Risk management is tailored
  8. Principle 8: Risk management takes human and cultural factors into account
  9. Principle 9: Risk management is transparent and inclusive
  10. Principle 10: Risk management is dynamic, iterative and responsive to change
  11. Principle 11: Risk management facilitates continual improvement and enhancement of the organization

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Company Standards Reference

Our company standards reference is for both employees, instructors and in-house instructorship programs.

  1. Approved-Means Sanctioned, endorsed, accredited, certified, or accepted as satisfactory by a duly constituted and nationally recognized authority or agency such as the International Rescue Instructors Association
  2. Authorized person-means a person approved or assigned by the employer to perform a specific type of duty or duties or to be at a specific location or locations at the jobsite
  3. Competent person-means one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.
  4. Qualified-means one who, by possession of a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or who by extensive knowledge, training, and experience, has successfully demonstrated his ability to solve or resolve problems relating to the subject matter, the work, or the project.
  5. Shall-means mandatory
  6. Assessment– Means Student Candidate (and instructor) assessment and program evaluations for conformity and compliance to the program standards

Reference: OHSA-CCOHS

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Product Organizations
  1. UNDERWRITERS means UL Laboratories is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the UL mission through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge.
  1. CE means the CE marking is the manufacturer’s declaration that the product meets EU standards for health, safety, and environmental protection

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Company Standards Compliance

Rescue Canada provides a variety of services and courses with reciprocal standards per course activity.

Select courses offered by Rescue Canada training curricula meets, complies and may exceed standards from the following organizations:

  1. IRIA means International Rescue Instructors Association
  2. ANSI means American National Standards Institute
  3. USCG means United States Coast Guard
  4. CCG means Canadian Coast Guard
  5. FEMA means Federal Emergency Management Agency
  6. NFPA means National Fire Protection Association
  7. NASBLA means National Association of State Boating Law Administrators
  8. ASTM means International formerly known as American Society for Testing and Materials
  9. OSHA means Occupational Safety and Health Administration
  10. ISO means International Organization for Standardization
  11. SOLAS means International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
  12. IACET means International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training
  13. CSA means Canada Safety Association Standard for Safety
  14. WorkSafe Canada
  15. CCOHS-Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety

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Course Codes

The Course Code Directory (CCD) is resource for information consisting of the codes referenced for specified courses under general category classifications.  The CCD is essential in the assignment of course management systems.

Boat operator in a helmet and yellow drysuit at the helm of a rescue boat
01-IRR
ICE RESCUE
Ice rescue responder, Snow, Avalanche, Winter Training
02-MWR
MOVING WATER
Swift moving water, Swiftwater, flood waters, surf, swell, current
03-HPB
HUMAN PROPELLED BOAT
Rafts, SUP, Paddle craft, floats
04-RTR
ROPE – TECHNICAL RESCUE
Access, Rope or Line systems, technical rescue, high angle or low angle,
05-PBR
POWER BOAT
Inboard, Outboard, water jet, electric, fuel, diesel powered
06-HWS
HEAVY WATER
Big wave safety, extreme risk environments or specialized training and safety coordination
07-AES
AQUATIC EVENT
Aquatic event safety and management practices and training needs. Course Marshal PWC Officiating training
08-ACS
AVIATION CREW
Helicopter crew safety
09-IPQ
INSTRUCTOR
Instructor Professional Qualification education
10-NIO
NIGHT OPERATIONS
Night operation training for specialized disciplines
11-MFA
MEDICAL-FIRST AID
CPR, Basic to advanced first aid, EMT, and Paramedic services
12-YMT
YOUTH MENTORSHIP-TRAINING
Youth from the ages of 4 to 18 years of age prior to becoming a legal adult, mentorship
13-PST
PUBLIC SAFETY
Public safety agency training, search and rescue, volunteer teams, disaster response, general training for safety
14-ANR
ANIMAL RESCUE
Domesticated, wildlife, livestock, exotic animals, reptilians, mammals
15-AIM
ADULT – INSTRUCTOR MENTORSHIP
Adult education, mentor or leadership programs
16-FPS
FILM PRODUCTION SAFETY
Water safety and technical safety support for the film industry in a variety of services
17-CIS
CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY SAFETY
Technical and safety training that serves the construction and commercial industry on a variety of projects
18-MST
MILITARY
Military safety, operational or mission profile training for land to waterborne divisions
19-LET
LAW ENFORCEMENT
Law Enforcement Officers (LEO); police, sheriff, warden, harbor officer, inspector, border patrol, search and rescue
20-ALT
AQUATIC LIFESAVING
Water safety: lifeguards, lifesavers, SCUBA,
21-CST
COMPETITION SAFETY TRAINING
Novice, Expert, Professional safety
22-FRS
FIRE RESCUE
Fire rescue services for fire personnel who are appointed to a specific discipline
23-TRV
TERRAIN RESPONSE VEHICLE
All-terrain vehicles including snowmobiles
24-WST
WINTER SAFETY TRAINING
Avalanche, snowshoe, fishing
25-URP
UNMANNED ROBOTIC PRODUCTS
UAV and unmanned boats and lifesaving devices
26-SME
CONSULTANT-SME EXPERT
Consultation on projects or program development, court expert
27-VER
VEHICLE SURVIVOR EXTRACTION AND RECOVERY
Survivor in vehicle extraction and recovery. Applied to ice, standing and moving water, vehicle over the side of roadway
Three rescue team members in orange suits and helmets talking in a smoky field

Accreditation Criteria

Listed below are the hourly breakdown of the training hours applied to Rescue Canada accreditation

Number of Hours

1
One hour of classroom
Course Work is considered 60 minutes of recorded time
1
One hour of in-person field training
Course Work is considered 60 minutes of recorded activity time
4
Four hours minimum of in-person field training
Course Work is considered 1 day, or 4 hours of recorded time
4
Four hours minimum of classroom
Course Work is considered a half day or 4 hours of recorded time
4
Four hours minimum of on-water post- qualification
Training is considered 1 day of recorded log book for skill-based conformity records to maintain skills for qualification compliance
8
Eight Hours minimum of on-water Qualification training
Is considered 1 day of recorded log book for skill-based conformity records to acquire license compliance: as noted in class fulfillment outlines

FAQs

Have questions about our courses, certifications, or registration process? Here are some of the most common questions students ask before training with Rescue Canada.

Is my Rescue Canada certificate recognized outside of Canada?

Yes. Because Rescue Canada programs are accredited through IRIA, your certification is recognized across IRIA member organizations globally. Geographic recognition tiers are linked to IRIA regions: North America, South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and Oceania.

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What do I need to bring to a course?

Each course has specific gear and prerequisite requirements listed on its course page. Most disciplines also require the online e-learning awareness module to be completed before your first day in the field.

What is the online e-learning for?

The awareness modules for Swiftwater, Ice, and Helicopter disciplines are prerequisites for the in-person courses. They take up to four hours to complete and are self-paced. Completing them before you arrive means your field time is spent on performance, not theory.

Who do I contact if I have questions about my certificate or renewal?

Call us at 1-800-663-8931 or reach out through the contact page. We are based in Chilliwack and have been doing this for over 40 years.

Ready to Start Your Training?

Join the thousands of Canadians who’ve trained with Rescue Canada to protect lives and build stronger teams. Enroll today and take the first step toward your next certification.

Rescue swimmer in a yellow helmet and orange drysuit pushing through whitewater