Lifesaving Resources recently completed its 15th annual INTERNATIONAL ICE RESCUE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER ACADEMY, February 16 - 19, in Portland, Maine during which time they graduated 19 new Ice Rescue Instructors. The graduates represented Fire and Rescue Departments from Canada, Alasa, Virginia, Massachusetts, and Maine, with faculty from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Rhode Island.
The purpose of this intensive 4-day Academy was to train Ice Rescue instructors for First Responder organizations, who, upon successful completion of the Academy, would be authorized to conduct Ice Rescue training programs on behalf of their own departments and to issue Ice Rescue course completion certificates to their graduates.
The 4-day Academy consisted of 11.5 hours of classroom instruction, and 18.5 hours of practical training conducted on and through the ice, including a Night Operations Drill conducted at night with only flashlights to guide their way to locate, rescue, and extricate multiple victims off the ice. The new graduating instructors included the following:
John Butler (Cople District Vol. Fire Department in Kinsale,Virginia)
Kurt Birnie-Browne (County of Grande Prairie Fire Department in Alberta, Canada)
Rob Campbell (County of Grande Prairie Fire Department in Alberta, Canada)
Chris Carlon (Clear AFS Alaska in Clear, Alaska)
Wayne Cerven (Safety First Consulting in Ontario, Canada)
Justin Cooper (Kennebunkport Fire Department in Kennebunkport, Maine)
James Evans (Clear AFS Alaska in Clear, Alaska)
Charlie Freeman (Stafford County Fire Rescue in Fredericksburg, Virginia)
Kyle Gulayets (Town of Sexsmith Fire Department in Alberta, Canada)
Jay Hynson (King George Co. Fire Rescue in King George, Virginia)
Timothy Leclercq (Stafford County Fire Rescue in Stafford, Virginia)
John Lindberg (County of Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada)
Michelle Martel (Saco Fire Department in Saco, Maine)
Roy Moore (Clear AFS Alaska in Clear, Alaska)
K. Curtis Pike (Hyannis Fire Department in Centerville, Massachusetts)
Steve Romann (North Lakes Fire and Rescue in Caribou, Maine)
Travis Skrepnek (County of Grande Prairie Fire Department in Alberta, Canada)
William Taylor (King George Co. Fire Rescue in King George, Virginia)
Chris Welsh (Town of Sexsmith Fire Department in Alberta, Canada)
Lifesaving Resources (www.lifesaving.com) is a private company dedicated to drowning and aquatic injury prevention and emergency management. Located in Kennebunkport, Maine, Lifesaving Resources is recognized both nationally and internationally as a leader in Ice and Water Rescue training programs for First Responders. The company develops educational programs in Water Rescue, Swiftwater Rescue, Ice Rescue, Lifeguarding, Drowning Prevention and Aquatics Safety, and conducts this training throughout North America as well as Internationally. The company conducts an annual INTERNATIONAL ICE RESCUE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER ACADEMY, as well as an INTERNATIONAL WATER RESCUE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER ACADEMY. The purpose of these internationally-recognized Academies is to train and authorize Ice and Water Rescue Instructors for Fire, Rescue, EMS, and Law Enforcement agencies. For information on any of their programs, please access their website at www.lifesaving.com.