Alberta Parks Water Safety and Boat Operations

Training Alberta Parks First Responders in Water Safety and Boat Operations

Introduction of Grant and Karen1

Alberta is located between the 49th and the 60th parallels. The province of British Columbia is to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, Northwest Territories to the north and to the south, across the Canadian border is the US State of Montana. The province is 255,541 square miles (nearly 4 times the size of the state of Florida) with a population of 3.5 million residents.2

Lesser Slave LakeLake AthabascaSikome Lake Fish Creek P.P.

McLeod Lake Carson-Pegasus P.P.

In reference to the water bodies in Alberta, they are all inland freshwater. The largest lake in the remote northeast is Lake Athabasca at 3085 square miles. Our largest patrolled lake is Lesser Slave Lake at 600 square miles. 3

The alpine, sub-alpine and foothills of the Rocky Mountains are on our western border.4

Roughly half of the province is covered in boreal forest in the northern region and the climate there is largely considered continental or sub-arctic.5

The southeastern region is a semi-arid highland continental climate and is generally prairie or badlands.6

Our larger rivers are mainly fed from glaciers in the mountains. Open water, for the most part, occurs for only 6-8 months of the year on the lakes, which are fed by rain and snow.7

Water surface temperatures vary between 39 and 62 degrees Fahrenheit during the operating months dependent on location of the specific lake. Water levels in the lakes are relatively stable throughout the year with the exception of a number of reservoirs in the southern region of the province which were built for irrigation purposes for the farms in the area8

Tourism in Alberta

Tourism and recreation is considered culturally important resource contributing over 5 billion dollars to the Albertan economy each year. With only 3% of Albertas surface covered in water, a population of 3.5 million residents and 4 million visitors annually, the water bodies that are utilized for water-based recreation are very busy.9

Provincial Parks, located throughout the province, are on the rivers and lakes and offer visitors numerous recreational opportunities regardless of location or time of year.

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Conservation Officers

Our duty as Conservation Officers is to assist with the field-level management of these parks and to provide information, enforcement, resource management, and public safety services to Albertans and our guests.11

1977

In 1977, a drowning occurred at Thunder Lake Provincial Park. At the judicial inquiry of the accident, the Government of Alberta, specifically Alberta Parks, was advised that whereas the Government supported, promoted and provided for water activities and facilities at most of the recreationally accessible lakes in the Province, that the Department was to supply and support water based emergency services to Albertans and its guests since it was an expectation of the visitors that such would be provided at these Parks. Specifically, the development of policies and specific regulations in relation to swimming areas, boat launches, piers, and boating traffic were to be completed in accordance with the Canadian Federal requirements. It also dictated that where these facilities were provided by the Government of Alberta, a method of emergency response with trained personnel be initiated and maintained.

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Provincial Parks had a few boats, most of them aluminium car-toppers and canoes. Some locations had invested in larger v-hulls, but there wasnt a trained operator among the employees. During the winter of 1978, a Parks task force was implemented to investigate all of the judicial requirements including training for the Park Staff. Research and study by the task group was done to find an all-around watercraft to suit the operational needs of Alberta Parks.

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1981

The fleet began with 17 Montauk Boston Whalers with 100 horsepower Evinrude Motors. The major investment required purchase of 18 boats over a period of 3 years of budgets. After 30 years, 80% of the original Whaler fleet is still operational, although motors and other equipment have been updated. An instructor group was organized from a select few employees that had personal interest and experience in boating. They investigated several established water and boating courses, but found that none of them suited Alberta Parks need to comply with the judicial inquiry findings or the operational issues found specifically on Alberta lakes. The Course Manual was developed through taking the most applicable matter from other agencies and courses and creating new methods to cover issues for which there was no manual. The first official Alberta Parks Boat Course was held in the spring of 1981 and involved 10 days of training in water safety, on-water rescue, boat operation, boat maintenance and search and rescue. Successive years saw the Alberta Parks Boat Course change in length, and updated information, policies, and equipment, but overall, it remains the base for Alberta Parks water operations for the past 28 years.

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Search and Rescue in Alberta

Although the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) hold the mandate for search and rescue in the Province of Alberta, our Parks employees provide trained individuals as First Responders and support the RCMP efforts. In fact, in Kananaskis Country, search and rescue services are entirely upheld by Alberta Parks employees due to the mountainous terrain and the specialized training and requirements for which Park employees are suited and employed. To keep the public safe on Albertas waters, Parks has made shared commitments of training and equipment with other government agencies and emergency services to overcome the prohibitive costs of obtaining both.

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Instructors

Currently, the Alberta Parks Water Safety Instruction Team consists of 2 certified Instructors and 4 Associate Instructors. We do not do this full-time; in fact, much of the preparation time is completed voluntarily by ourselves as with many of the other Alberta Parks Training disciplines. It is an extra part of our duties that we as instructors take on and mentor fellow officers in Water Safety and Boat Operations. To become a fully certified instructor takes a minimum of 3 years and includes the following requirements;be an employee of the Ministry.exhibit a mechanical aptitude and strong operational skills with all types of vessels used within the ministry.have a Canadian Pleasure Craft Operators card and be able to be certified to teach this course.be approved by the Area Manager and Parks Operations Manager to be an instructor.a candidate must complete the Red Cross Bronze Medallion Swimming Certification,be willing to complete a medical exam each year by a physician.commit to being an Associate Instructor for 3 seasons and teach 1 course for evaluation by other instructors.Take the Train the Trainer Course and other applicable courses to increase knowledge and skills.Provide a hands-on operation of a boat through a skills test course prior to acceptance for instructor confidence.

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Alberta Parks offers the following training:

Basic Water Safety and Boat Operations CourseAdvanced Water Safety and Boat Operations CourseMustang Airforce and Hydrostatic PFD UseIce Travel and RescueSwift-water RescueAutumn Boat Op. Refresher and Boat Winterization Session

As per slide17

We work with other agencies to support their:

Jet Boat Operations Course

PWC Operations Course

Paddlecraft Operations Course

Airboat Operations Course

As per slide18

Candidate selection for our 6 day course in June are based on need the total Parks Operation and we limit our June course a number of 16 Basic level participants (8 student boats) for safety reasons and to maintain an instructor to student ratio of 3:1. The approximate cost for a 6 day boat course with 16 participants is $7000.00 (CDN) this includes fuel, minor repairs, (major ones are the cost of the home District of the boat) lodging and meals (which we get at a phenomenal rate of $ 50 /per person per day at an established youth group camp). Training is not limited to Conservation Officers, but open Maintenance and Biological personnel whom are operating on-water as a part of their duties. We also accept applications from fellow agencies who cannot locate a course to meet certification of Occupational Health and Safety requirements or Transport Canada. All personnel must come to the course certified in basic first aid training and with a federal boat operators licence to participate.

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Safety

Safety is of the utmost importance and governs all operations and training. Our policy dictates the wearing of floater coats and head to toe apparel to combat hypothermic operating conditions, a barrier against bumps and bruises while in rough conditions inside the boat as well as a layer of protection in the event of leaving the boat during operation. During the course all personnel wear helmets to protect against injury and wearing sunglasses in strongly encouraged. A minimum of 2 participants are in each boat to provide for the buddy system. In the past 3 years, we have incorporated a safety boat into our flock. 2-3 Instructors operate a Whaler and are prepared to assist candidates if we have a mechanical issue or a learning issue and prevents the entire group from having to shut down to access and rectify the problem. We have radio communication between instructors and safety boat personnel to allow for conversations while underway. We do not provide the students radio communication, and we believe that there would be less concentration on their own driving and direction signals from the lead boat. We are continually cognisant of fatigue of students and instructors, long days and weather make for tired individuals and ultimately poor choices while operating. It is the entire groups responsibility to look out for each other. As students, individuals take turns driving or performing as safety spotter. The same applies for the Instructor group both in lead boat or the safety boat. Constant reassessments are performed to identify any attention issues early and change gears in the program to prevent fatigue.

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Water Safety and Boat Operations Manual2009

Our Boat Course Manual is in a constant state of re-write to keep current with information. The manual meets and exceeds the Canadian requirement for a Commercial Boat Training Handbook on inland waters and we are pleased that our manual has been used in whole or in part by other agencies to develop their own boating training programs. The sharing of information between agencies only makes for a better product for everyone involved.

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Water Safety and Boat Operations Class of 2008

How do we do it? How do we take students, some with little to no boating experience, and make them competent boat drivers in 6 days? Incrementally of course!!

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Towing, Trailering and Launch Practice

Students begin with the very basics towing and backup practice and LOTS of it.

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Classroom & Dry-land Modules

Classroom and dry-land practice is injected throughout the week between the on-water modules (safety, mechanics, enforcement, knot tying, search practices and theory)24

WaterSafety Module

The students perform a mandatory swim test and water safety practice in 40-45 degree Fahrenheit lake water. Trust us! ... They gain an appreciation of staying in the boat and dry and warm and the necessary apparel that should be worn.

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Communicating and Directing

Communication to the students while running boats is done with hand signals. Any signal given below the shoulders by the signal instructor in the lead boat is an indication of the upcoming maneuver expected of them. A signal given above the shoulders indicates that the drivers should immediately respond. Passing the signal to the next boat is the responsibility of the passenger of the student boat. These signals are rehearsed on shore before any driving begins. 26

Small Propeller Module

We begin the operations section in small boats with 10-20 hp motors. This accomplishes a couple of things for us - Students; 1) learn to drive in formation. 2) gain a respect of how a small boat handles 3) develop an understanding on reading and manoeuvring a vessel in rough water if you can drive a small tiller boat in this, driving upright in a Whaler with a wheel will be pretty darn easy.

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Small prop operation

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Launching & Loading

We put in and take out of the lake 2-3 times a day this means constant practice backing up at the boat launches trailering, launching, loading of passengers, and then the whole production in reverse when we complete an operational period.

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Large Propeller Module

After approximately 6 on-water hours and a careful assessment of individual operator competency, the students graduate to operation of the larger Boston Whalers. The first 2 modules consist of very basic manoeuvres at low speeds following the lead boat in a single line, following the lead boat in 2 parallel lines. 30

We gradually progress from wide turns and straight runs to tighter turns and incorporate a V formation. Module 3, we increase operating speed and continue with the basic manoeuvres, as well as running alongside. This teaches an operator to visually calculate operating distance from another boat while using fine throttle and steering control to maintain the required distance. 31

Double Line & Flying V - Formation

More assessment brings even more technical manoeuvres 1) an operator will chase the wake of the lead boat.2) all operators/boats will participate in running alongside in one whole line. Again, this promotes fine steering and throttle control and increased confidence.

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Running Alongside

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Chase the Wake

Mechanical Module

Like any vehicle, boats need maintenance too. Our students are taught how the motors work and preventative maintenance on large and small outboard engines and the Whaler boats. Troubleshooting motor operation problems are discussed and practiced.35

Search& Rescue Modules

Search and rescue is discussed throughout the week. All slow operation modules, such as approaching other vessels, shore, docks or piers, and hazards as well as performing search patterns are discussed and practiced with repetition and under whatever weather, wind and operating conditions occur.

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Mock Search and Rescue Mission

The last evening of the course becomes the final module, where students put together all of their training to complete a mock search and rescue mission. We have 2 scenarios for which we bring in Park volunteers to assist in the program. The student teams are given very basic information of a on-water incident, and must work as a team using all of their skills they have obtained throughout the week and from other training they have received within their personal experience to bring about the best possible outcome of search and rescue.

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WE ARE READY!

Equipment cleanliness, performance and the state of readiness are promoted throughout the week.

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Administrative Requirements

ENFORACCIDENT REPORTING

CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESSMEDIA RELATIONS POLICYFEDERAL ACTS AND REGULATIONSPROVINCIAL ACTS AND REGULATIONS

Administrative requirements such as Boat Logs, Water-related Incidents and Accident reporting are reviewed. We also discuss Critical Incident Stress and Media Relations Policies in the event of incident involving Rescue or Search.

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Evaluating Performance

We are constantly evaluating performance of the individuals. If we see a skill we like, or perhaps a less-desirable one, we take the time to discuss and review the requirements or the skill set to the group as a whole during one of our rest breaks or dry-land training sessions. So what happens if and when we have a candidate that is not performing to the required module? As Instructors, we constructively deal that in one of three methods; 1) change their partner to a more skilled individual to promote increased performance or 2) put an associate instructor in the boat with them to build up their confidence and operational skills or3) offer one-on-one instruction in the evening where the student is directly tutored to improve their skills.

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Mustang Inflatable PFD Training

We are issuing and have developed a department course for the Mustang Inflatable PFD specific to Officers wearing duty belts and enforcement equipment. Our policy on this apparel dictates that Alberta Parks supply training to permanent officers whom are issued the devices for wear on patrol.

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Mustang Airforce PFD Pool Training

Mustang Practice42

Sharing Knowledge & Equipment

As mentioned earlier, we are operating 30 year old Boston Whalers (and we hope that it is a sign of our training that they have lasted that long), but we have replaced motors, trailers, electronics and wiring with a little TLC to hulls and transoms. We have obtained newer boats in the past 3 years 2 Guardian Whalers. In the case of one boat, Alberta Parks has entered into a boat share agreement with a community emergency service. A local Kinsmen club purchased the 150 hp Verrado motor and it was married to an Alberta Parks purchased Guardian Whaler. This has resulted in Alberta Parks training of 7 firefighters in Water Safety and Boat Operations and a nearly complete Memorandum of Agreement with the municipal Government in relation to Water Rescue and Search. We expect that this template be the beginning of more shared equipment, services and training in Water Safety Operations.

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Why we train..

Our trained Parks personnel participate in a number water related searches or rescues per year in areas throughout the province. This training and equipment allow us to participate safely and have the best possible outcome on these situations. 44

And so we continue.

We continue to train as instructors, educate ourselves and our students, review and modify our materials and methods to promote Water Safety. We are fortunate that our Government believes and supports our training and equipment. To participate in this Boating Summit is an example of their support and we are here to share in the experience and training opportunities.

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Questions?

Questions?

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