California Swift Water Rescue Three (CA-SWR3)
In 1994 as a result of prior flooding in California, CalOES Search and Rescue Division purchased and assigned 8 Swift Water/Flood Rescue equipment caches to the 8 California Urban Search and Rescue teams. As a Sponsoring Agency for California Tack Force 3 (CA-TF3) the Fire District was the recipient of the first cache. Since 1994, the Menlo Park Fire Protection District has staffed California Swift Water Rescue 3 (CA-SWR3) for CalOES.
CA-SWR3 is staffed by specially trained and equipped firefighters. The team is currently one of thirteen affiliated CalOES Response Teams. Equipped with wet suits, personal flotation devices, helmets, and specially designed water rescue devices, the Department's Swift Water Rescue personnel have the ability to create land-based water rescue systems, as well as to perform water-based contact rescues in order to save victims trapped in the many natural and man-made water emergencies. The team has the ability to respond across wetland, marsh areas, and mud flats with a specially designed high performance Air Boat. For deep water and large area search and rescue missions, the team can respond with the additional three inflatable boats and two personal water crafts. The team or modular components are available for immediate responses.
The cache is designed to support a 16 Member Team. All of the 16 personnel have dual roles on the team such as Paramedic, Logistician, Search, Swift Water Boat Operator, Communications, Helicopter Aquatic Rescue, Technical Rope, or Animal Rescue. All personnel have a minimum of Rescue Systems 1, Swift Water Rescue Technician 1 certificates, and have passed the annual swim test.
The equipment cache contains a 14' Zodiac I.R.B. (inflatable rescue boat), with a 30 HP Tohatsu outboard motor. The boat is easily inflated and can be deflated and rolled up into a small bag for transportation or storage. Also inside are dry suits with liners, "live bait" type PFD, helmets, neoprene boots/gloves/hoods and flashlights. Some of the technical equipment consists of a line launcher and a fire hose inflator. The CA-SWR3 Cache relies on the CA-TF3 cache for all radio/communications equipment. 
All CalOES Water Rescue Teams are coordinated and ordered through the normal mutual aid request procedures, and are able to deploy within 2 hours with prior notification and 4 hours without. The teams are totally self sufficient for the first 24 hours, supported later by incident and logistical support teams from CalOES.
Each of the CalOES SWR Teams has one member who participates on a state formed Water Rescue Committee. The purpose of the Committee is for the development of policy for water rescue resources, including organizational development, resource and equipment typing. All policy, equipment, training recommendations, and team organization that comes from this Committee is then submitted to Firescope for approval. The goal here is for an Incident Commander on the scene of a water related emergency be able to pick his F.O.G. (field operations guide), order the appropriate resources and know exactly what the capabilities of such resources are.
Currently, there are 4 levels of classifications of CalOES Water Rescue Teams within FireScope:
• Type 1 = consists of 16 people
• Type 2 = consists of 6 people
• Type 3 = consists of 4 people
• Type 4 = consists of 3 people
For more information about California Swift Water Rescue Three (CA-SWR3) and CalOES please go to: