Pre-course prep
Once registered, you’ll be emailed the Preparation Guide with full instructions and resources. You can work on this offline and it will likely take around 4 hours.
By learning the pre-course prep material beforehand, we can spend more time during your course practicing where it matters: on and around the river.
Daily schedule
After registering, you’ll receive a ‘student information package’ with specific meeting times for your course. Typically class starts at 8:30am and some days can go until 6:30pm.
Attendance is mandatory
Attendance for 100% of class time is mandatory. If you cannot make a session you must get permission from the instructor in advance. Students who miss a section of the course without pre-approval may be asked to leave the course.
Assessment and evaluation for certification
One of the most valuable aspects of Boreal River Rescue – Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) certification is that it includes a practical evaluation. This proves that an individual holding the certification has demonstrated competency with their river rescue skills and not simply attended a workshop.
The assessment takes place on the river in a supportive, fun, and professional environment with the goals of evaluation, review, and continued learning. Students will get multiple chances to demonstrate competency with their skills. To achieve the WRT Level III certification students need to:
- Attend all sessions and participate throughout the course
- Demonstrate an understanding of river safety and river rescue skills
- Pass the practical evaluation on the last day.
Your certification is valid for 3 years from the date of issue.
Recertification as a Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT)
You can recertify your Whitewater Rescue Technician (WRT) III certification by taking the 3-day Recertification (WRT-Recert) course within 3 years of your last certification. You can also re-take the 5-day course if you would like even more practice.
Recertification and upgrade: 3-day Recert/Bridge or 5-day WRT course
To successfully recertify or upgrade to your technician-level certification in 3 days, it is important that you arrive for your course ready to use your skills and knowledge from your previous training courses and experiences.
The 3-day option is great if you have been practicing most of your skills regularly and spending time in and around rivers during the three years since your last course. We recommend taking the complete 5-day WRT course if you would like more supervised practice time, if you haven’t spent very much time around rivers since your last course, or if you aren’t able to perform the skills outlined in the pre-course prep assignment.
Certification from other training providers
You can take the WRT-Bridge or WRT-Recertification course if your current certification is through a provider other than Boreal River Rescue. Please contact the office for approval.
