Date/Time
Date(s): 10/04/2019 - 10/06/2019

Location
New Braunfels
Faust Street Bridge
New Braunfels, TX 78130

Instructor(s)
Shawn Hohnstreiter

Contact Email: shawn.hohnstreiter@texsar.org

TEXSAR is conducting a Rescue Training International (RTI) FAST 1 Course (Flood And Swiftwater Technician 1) for members needing to get certified in FAST, for those who took FAST 1 within the last three years and need to recertify, and those who are currently certified and who wish to audit. It will be a 27-hour course over 2.5 days, including one night training. You must attend all segments to get a complete certification, but lower-level certifications are available if you do not complete all of it.

This certification is required of all TEXSAR personnel to do anything on or near the water (water rescue, shore support, rescue boat operations, etc). FAST 1 is a prerequisite for RBO (Rescue Boat Operator) that is required to be on the boats. If you have accrued scholarship funds by assisting with fundraisers or other extra TEXSAR work, you have the opportunity to apply those funds to this class (you can check your scholarship fund balance in your SIMS profile).

The normal cost of the class is $300, but the price is variable depending on certain factors:

• $255 – New certifications for TEXSAR members
• $150 – Recertifications (must have a current FAST 1 cert)

If you’re not needing to recertify and have already completed the course within the last three years, you may audit for free, but you will still need to register for the class.

IMPORTANT – If you cannot make the class and do not cancel your registration before materials have been ordered (usually within two weeks of the class), the cost of the class is non-refundable.

Schedule:

• Friday 6pm-11pm – New Braunfels hotel conference room, no gear/PPE needed
• Saturday 7am-6pm, 8pm-midnight – Guadalupe River below the Faust Street Bridge in New Braunfels, TX. The night exercise will be a different location that we will take you to. You will be exhausted and it is encouraged to stay locally to be ready the next morning.
• Sunday – 8am-4pm – Guadalupe River below the Faust St Bridge in New Braunfels, TX

Friday evening classroom will be in the hotel conference room, and for the rest of the class, meet in the parking lot at 478 Porter St, New Braunfels, TX 78130 at the intersection of Porter and McKenna Streets. Please, park on the far side of the parking lot to save space for the event venue.

FYI, the largest majority of all flood and swiftwater training in the state takes place in New Braunfels, so you should not anticipate this course being offered in other areas, due to water conditions.

Required PPE:

• USCG Approved PFD Type III or Type V (Preferred Type V Rescue with Tethered Swimmer belt)
• Water or vertical rescue helmet (we suggest vertical helmets). Bicycle helmet will suffice
• Hard sole wetsuit boot or tennis shoes. NO open toes, open heels, open sides, open middle or sandals of any sort. Feet must be completely covered. The only opening should be the one your foot enters the shoe through.
• Swimsuit appropriate for professional training in public

Suggested PPE:

• Gloves for night training
• Full wetsuit or drysuit depending on weather and how easily you get cold

Suggested Items:

• Sunscreen
• Water in plastic bottles

DO NOT BRING:

• Glass or Styrofoam near the water.
• New students will not be allowed to have lights or knives during class.

Class Rules:

• No physical horseplay
• No throwing items (this includes rocks, sticks or other objects during class time)
• No smoking while wearing or within 10 ft of any of the PPE. This includes other personnel’s gear.
• No dipping during skills training or while in the water.
• Cell phones on silent during class. Answering phones is discouraged.
• Successful completion of this course requires promptness.

We will have some extra gear available for use if needed. Please, put whatever gear you may need to borrow in the “Notes” field, and let us know early. You must provide your own footwear, and we have limited wetsuits, but we typically have plenty of PFD’s and helmets, or you can borrow one from another member in your division. List your wetsuit size in the comments if you need to borrow one, and please do not go out and buy gear without checking with us for recommendations or team preference first. All gear is available for purchase at Rescue Gear/Tom’s Dive and Swim in Austin, at a reduced price. The gear list is in the SIMS Library section. Please, do not inundate Tom’s Dive with wetsuit rental questions for several weeks. They have plenty on hand, and you’ll just need to call in a week or two before class to reserve the size you need.

Lodging:

• We’ll get block hotel room pricing once we know how many people will be attending and we can share rooms to keep the costs down. It’s normally about $85 per room +tax the last time we trained in the offseason, but prices may be a bit higher. The course cost is for the instruction only and hotel and meals are in addition.

Registration