Water & Flood Awareness

About this course
Aimed at: Personnel who may be exposed to water and flood hazards during their work but are not required to enter the water.
The Water and Flood Awareness (AW) course is a classroom and/or online-based training designed for personnel whose work brings them into close proximity to water or flood risks. While they are not expected to enter the water, they must be capable of recognising hazards, operating safely in these environments, and understanding emergency procedures.
This awareness-level course provides a foundation for safe practice and effective coordination during water-related incidents. It is also an ideal prerequisite for more operational roles in water rescue environments.
Compliance
Complies with:
- DEFRA Module 1 standards for awareness-level flood and water safety
- Organisational safety policies for personnel operating near water hazards
- Health and safety legislation regarding working in or near hazardous environments
Who Should Attend?
This course is intended for individuals who may encounter water or flood environments during their duties but are not trained for in-water operations, including:
- Office-based or supervisory staff working on flood risk or water-related projects
- Infrastructure inspectors (e.g. bridges, culverts, riversides)
- Local authority personnel involved in emergency planning
- Utility and construction workers
- Logistics, planning, and coordination teams supporting water-related incidents
- Environmental agency field teams (non-entry roles)
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, participants will be able to:
- Understand the risks associated with working near water and in flood-prone areas
- Recognise different types of water environments and associated hazards
- Apply dynamic risk assessment principles in water-adjacent settings
- Identify appropriate actions to take in an emergency
- Understand the role and limitations of awareness-level personnel in flood/water incidents
- Communicate effectively with operational and rescue teams
- Comply with site-specific and agency-wide safety protocols
Instruction:
Training is delivered by highly experienced instructors with extensive industry knowledge. Candidates are encouraged to ask questions throughout the course.
Theory:
- Rescue 3 philosophy
- Training standards
- Best practice guidelines for water rescue
- Hydrology and water hazards
- Personal equipment
- echnical and team equipment
- Pre-planning
- Risk assessments
- Incident size-up considerations
- Incident management and site control
- Medical and decontamination considerations
- Considerations for night/poor visibility operations
- Mud, ice and unstable surface considerations
- Communications
- Accidental immersions considerations
- Floodwater dynamics and hazards
- Flood theory
Practical:
- Dry land practice of conditional rescues – talk, reach, throw (if used by agency)
Theory and practical
Pre-Requisites:
Minimum age: 18 years
Course payments
If booking online please follow instructions, payment can be made using debit or credit card. Should you wish to pay by invoice please contact a member of our team and we will be able to process your booking for you. We require either payment or a purchase order at the time of reservation and will issue a formal invoice. Once payment has been successfully processed, we will issue your joining instructions.
Course materials, accreditation, a complimentary light lunch and refreshments throughout the day.
After booking
Our courses vary so timings will be confirmed in your joining instructions. All candidates are required to arrive 15 minutes prior to the course start to register and provide their photographic identification.
Directions
From M5 junction 30 take the A376, at the first roundabout take the second exit on to the A3052. Continue for approximately 1 mile and Westpoint enterance is on the left hand side (also signed as Devon Drivers Centre).
When entering through the main gates take the first turning on the right signed Red One Ltd Headquarters. Red One is the first red brick building on the right. Please park in the spaces on the right prior to the building.
