What is the International Association of Water Rescue Professionals?

IAWRP was established in the fall of 2012 to provide a vehicle for the surface water rescue community at large to encourage open dialog between users, trainers, regulators and industry to further the advancement of the safety, operational efficiency and performance of this complex discipline.

The ever-changing worldwide political and natural environments are presenting new challenges to the surface water rescue community that requires a more connected inter operable approach to meet these challenges.

Our Mission

The International Association of Water Rescue Professionals (IAWRP)  is dedicated to supporting individuals and organizations that are involved in all aspects of water rescue operations by keeping its members abreast of  advances in training, equipment, and life saving techniques. IAWRP will also provide a conduit between  the user community, industry and regulatory agencies at large to ensure the needs of its membership are presented and met.    IAWRP will maintain an environment where water rescue professionals can openly communicate ensuring that we may all benefit from our combined knowledge and experience.  

History

IAWRP started informally with discussion between water rescue professionals in the United States and Canada, including Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, California, New York, and British Columbia. They decided that water rescue teams would benefit from a more formal exchange of ideas. The association was founded formally in the fall of 2012 and has grown ever since with participants across the globe coming together in events in the United States and Europe. 

Message from the Board 

Believing the partnerships are the key to success and the future for water rescue programs and development, this Board’s goals for IAWRP are to carry out the Mission and Vision of the organization to support sustainable water rescue resources in local, regional, tribal, state, national, and international organizations. Furthermore to develop partnerships and standards that will enable more effective and efficient response to disasters. We plan to grow the organization to represent the needs and interests of all water rescue programs and members.