Date/Time:
November 11, 2026 - November 15, 2026
Calendar:
WOKA Events

Registration Link: ACA Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Course Registration (Nov 2026) | Cognito Forms

This course will be held at the WOKA Whitewater Park in NE Oklahoma (NW Arkansas)

Are you looking for an opportunity to develop your technical rescue teaching skills in a dynamic environment? This course might be right for you! This is not a rehash of 20-year-old concepts, instead we will be learning the most recent evidence-based tactics to prevent and solve high intensity issues that can happen in whitewater environments.

Prepare yourself to be challenged with learning to run effective, scenario-based training, and refine your instructional methos as you train with other skilled whitewater paddlers in the most up-to-date methods.

This course is being provided by Tom Burroughs. More about Tom below

The cost for the course is $850for 5 days of the in-person course, this fee includes books required for the course. The program is rigorous and requires prior skills training and paddling experience. Local Lodging/Camping options can also be found below. If you are interested in learning more about this certification program, you can reach out about the class content to Tom Burroughs directly at swiftwaterrescue@gmail.com, or if there are questions about the class logistics or location contact ethan.sipes@grda.com

 

About your Trainer!

Tom Burroughs, ACA L-5 Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Trainer Educator – NREMT/WEMT/MPIC-
Director, Ozark Safety & Rescue Educators

A full-time outdoor skills educator working internationally, Tom is focused on the development of powerful and effective methods of experiential learning.
Tom is a recipient of the ACA’s Excellence in Instruction award, and has been nationally recognized among the “Best of the Best” of Swiftwater Rescue Instructors. From his start in emergency services in 1990, through his current position as the Team leader of the Washington CO. AR Wilderness Search and Rescue team, his focus on technical skills and rescue techniques has been a lifetime passion. As a NREMT / WEMT, he functions as medical support and safety on expeditions and large paddling events. Tom is an American Canoe Association (ACA) L-4 Whitewater Kayak Instructor Trainer Educator, L-5 Advanced Swiftwater Rescue Instructor Trainer Educator and L-5 Advanced Rafting Instructor Trainer. In his role as an Educator for the ACA, Tom is the past chair of the ACA’s Safety and Rescue Discipline Committee, which provides oversight and curriculum development for the ACA’s Safety and Rescue programs and is a foundational member / SWR 3-V Instructor for the International Technical Rescue Association (ITRA). As a wilderness medicine instructor for Sierra Rescue International, he instructs SRI courses throughout the country and he provides risk management services to numerous organizations. He is also an Instructor for the National Cave Rescue Commission and helped develop the original Small Party Self Rescue curriculum. Tom’s programs employ an experiential teaching style that keeps folks interested and involved. Tom can always be reached at SwiftwaterRescue@gmail.com

Lodging Options: