Lifesaving Resources (lifesaving.com) completed its 15th annual INTERNATIONAL WATER RESCUE TRAIN-THE-TRAINER ACADEMY on Sunday, May 21, in Portland, Maine graduating 4 new Water Rescue Instructors.
The Academy was conducted from Thursday, May 18 - Sunday, May 21 and included over 30 instructional hours. Practical sessions were conducted in the Westbrook Community Center Swimming Pool (Westbrook, Maine), in the Presumpscot River (Westbrook, Maine), in the Saco River (Saco, Maine), and in the Atlantic Ocean (Kennebunkport, Maine).
The graduates included Timothy K. Moore of the Cherry Hill Fire Department in New Jersey; Sierra Gardner of FireTech Training in Vermont; Lucas Hughes of the City of Snoqualmie Fire Department in Washington; and Wayne Cerven of Safety First in Ontario, Canada. The Academy was conducted under the direction of Gerry Dworkin of Lifesaving Resources, who is also a Kennebunkport Firefighter and EMT; with the assistance of Bob Shields with the Cumberland (Rhode Island) Fire & EMS Department; and Greg LeBlanc with the Northwood (New Hampshire) Fire Department.
The purpose of this extensive 4-day Academy is to train Water Rescue Instructors for Public Safety and Rescue Agencies who, upon successful completion of the Academy, are then authorized to conduct Water Rescue Awareness, Operations and Technician level courses, as well as Swiftwater Rescue Technician courses on behalf of their own departments/agencies.
Lifesaving Resources conducts an annual Water Rescue Train-the-Trainer Academy, as well as an annual Ice Rescue Train-the-Trainer Academy and currently has over 350 authorized instructors located throughout the U.S. and 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.