PRO-I Swiftwater Rescue
Low-resource swiftwater response for river guides, field contractors and operational professionals who work where outside support may be limited.
Train for the reality of working with limited resources.
PRO-I is an intensive professional swiftwater rescue course built for river guides and field professionals operating in austere, low-support environments.
It serves seasonal contractors, USFS and NPS crews, BLM staff, field scientists and SAR personnel who need practical river skills without the large-scale incident-command focus of PRO-SAR. The emphasis is personal safety, decision-making, hazard recognition and complex problem solving with a small team.
Operational skills that transfer directly to the river.
01
Hazard Recognition
Read water, identify hazards, avoid preventable incidents and make sound risk decisions.
02
Self Rescue
Build comfort swimming in current and apply effective self-rescue priorities.
03
Throw Bag & Contact Rescue
Deliver shore-based and in-water rescues with clear communication and control.
04
Entrapment & Crossings
Address foot entrapments and conduct safer shallow-water crossing operations.
05
Knots, Anchors & Rope Systems
Construct core anchors, basic mechanical advantage and horizontal rope systems.
06
Limited-Resource Problem Solving
Work as a small team using available equipment, GAR calculations and operational judgment.
Arrive ready to work.
- Proficient swimmer and physically capable participant
- Minimum age 16 with parental consent
- All required Personal Protective Equipment
- Meet SSI’s Essential Eligibility Criteria
- Complete the required online module before field training (80%)
Know the systems before you arrive.
Students must arrive capable of constructing a 3:1 mechanical advantage system, a simple shore anchor and a two-point self-equalizing boat anchor. Direction and preparation are provided in the online modules.
PRO-I and PRO-II are not NFPA compliant. Only PRO-SAR is NFPA compliant. Graduates may continue into PRO-II for advanced professional river-rescue skills or into PRO-SAR for NFPA-aligned public-safety and multi-agency response training.
Prepare online. Perform in moving water.
Before the Course
Online Foundation
Complete approximately two hours of self-paced online learning and pass each module exam with at least 80%.
Day 01
Core Systems & Rescue Skills
Demonstrate required anchors and mechanical advantage, then develop swimming, throw-bag, contact-rescue and crossing skills.
Day 02
Integrated River Problems
Apply rope, rescue and decision-making skills through hands-on evolutions with limited resources and practical evaluation.
Focused, practical and professionally relevant.
Competence demonstrated in the field.
Students complete the online exams before attending, then satisfy practical evaluations throughout the field course.
Successful participants receive SSI’s internationally recognized PRO-I Certificate of Course Completion. Certification may be issued for one, two or three years based on practical performance documented through SSI Core Competencies evaluation.
Build dependable river-rescue capability.
View upcoming PRO-I dates or talk with SSI about training for your outfitter, agency or institution.