Thank you for your interest in our Canal Rescue and In-Water Vehicle Extrication course. This course is one of several Mission Specific Distinctive SpecialtiesTM offered through Gulf States Dive and Rescue to meet a water rescue or safety training need that generalized training doesn't address adequately for your needs. Other courses include 18hr Flood and Moving Water Rescue, Marine Safety Elements for the Work Force as well as our children's water safety and SCUBA exploratory opportunities.

 

This first of it's kind, original course meets the need for comprehensive rescue training for departments that have first responders confined to surface only operations as well as departments that can meet a shallow submersion need where depth still allows for rescuers to use body extension, leverage and buoyancy to ascend an occupant from a submerged vehicle cab to the surface and shore them.

 

For first responders that need a deeper response or wish to train their team to provide rescue while donning SCUBA, we offer both a certificate course as well as certification course. The difference between the certificate vs certification course is a matter of four check out dives that can be completed through GSDR, IDEA or through a referral program at a dive shop near you. One of our goals was to ensure that every single participant that may breath compressed air underwater gets the exact same didactic and pool training, supervised by an active and experienced recreational and PS SCUBA instructor, every other diver gets, within the course. Should you or your department decide to finish the certification process, it is super easy and now much less expensive to do so. 

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In either case, this is the FIRST and currently the ONLY course in the United States of this kind backed by an internationally recognized SCUBA training organization, International Diving Educators Association's Public Safety Division. IDEA was established in 1952 and is the first SCUBA training organization in the U.S. Making them not only a historic agency, the first to support the path of SCUBA created by Jacques Cousteau, but also older than PADI, NAUI, SSI, ERDI as well as all of the current top water rescue organizations. 

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Beginning in 2026, your team members will be able to complete all aspects of the didactic portion of the course while on duty at their pace and convenience. This is a convenient way to meet didactic goals before one of our out of area instructors arrive, however, we strongly believe in the value of in person training and encourage you to allow our instructors to come to you before the practical session to complete the classroom portion of this course.  

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The didactic portion of this course covers an incredible amount of information as it pertains to the eight canal construction considerations that can directly impact scene safety, hydrology, PPE and more. For a peak at the table of contents please Click here - > 

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Upon completion of the classroom or online training portion of this course we then meet at a pre-approved location in your response zone and sink our uniquely designed, environmentally friendly Ford Ranger pick up truck. The vehicle and course is designed for mastering critical rescue skills and techniques and offers eleven uniquely different scenarios. Click Here - >

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Of the four potential landing scenarios, this course is designed to provide First Responders with as realistic training as possible in two of the most common aquatic vehicle rescue call-outs:

 

        - Vehicle Settled with Cab Showing

        - Vehicle Settled with Cab Submerged in Shallow Water

 

Additionally,  course includes a mass casualty exercise involving no fewer than seven occupants, comprising both weighted manikins and live participants.  

 

The six hour, performance based didactic session addresses familiarization, discussion and table top exercises covering four landing positions (up right, turtled, lateral and angled) while also addressing the eight canal features that will impact your scene assessment, set up and rescue techniques while addressing potential dangers including delta P, canal contaminates, obese, pregnant or disabled, conscious and unconscious occupants, jammed or obstructed doors, escape and access options among other critical topics. Quick, concise recognition and communication to additional responding resources, understanding your teams’ limitations and appropriate resource acquisition are also important topics discussed.

 

For departments interested in responding to submerged and unseen vehicles in water too deep to stand, we also offer a Quick-Rescue Diver TM (QRD) program. This is the first SCUBA related first response option backed by an internationally recognized SCUBA agency with a direct path to full SCUBA certification that can lead your divers on the path to recreational Advanced, recreational Rescue Diver, Dive Master or Public Safety Diver certification. However, with strict guidelines in place, rescuer certification is an option, not a requirement or additional expense.

 

 With courses peer reviewed by agencies such as Emergency Response Diving International, International Rescue Instructors Association (Canada), Public Safety Diving Association and Water Rescue Inc as well as others, our founder and Lead Instructor has been vetted at the instructor level by top water rescue and public safety dive professionals internationally and his experience as a flood disaster rescue coordinator, an aquatic motion picture rescue/stunt professional and live event water rescue coordinator will offer the experience in your course that your team demands. Upon completion of the online didactic or in-house lecture, the Canal Rescue and In-Water Vehicle Extrication class is a one-day class, excluding QRD (Call for QRD timeline). Price includes didactic presentation, Canal Rescue and In-Water Vehicle Extrication course material that addresses vehicles, light aerial transportation and other submerged platforms as well as the use of training props, submersible multi-scenario vehicle and credentials with a recommended refresher of every two years. For more information, please call, text or email: 504-382-1097 or Paul@Diveandrescue.org