Navigation

STA Public Open Water Emergency Response Course

This unregulated course provides learners with practical awareness and confidence in an open water environment to recognise emergencies, assess risks, and take safe, effective action until professional help arrives.

Note: It is not a lifeguard / lifesaving qualification and does not train participants to enter the water or undertake specialist rescues.

Course Specification    Find a Course

Many communities, businesses and organisations are located alongside rivers, canals, lakes, harbours or the coast across the UK. These locations bring a unique responsibility. While incidents are rare, there may be occasions when a member of the public, customer, or colleague unexpectedly enters the water and needs help.

This course has been designed to provide practical awareness and confidence for people living or working in these environments. It is not a lifeguard qualification and does not train learners to enter the water or undertake specialist rescues. Instead, it focuses on recognising an emergency, understanding the risks, and taking safe, effective action that can make a significant difference while professional help is on its way.

Using the simple framework of Recognise, Respond, and Review, learners will explore how to identify potential emergencies, respond safely, support someone in difficulty, and understand the steps that follow an incident. The emphasis throughout is on protecting both the casualty and the responder, making informed decisions, and knowing how to access the right help.

By increasing awareness and preparing people for situations they may never expect to face, this course aims to help create safer waterfront communities where confidence, calm decision-making and early intervention can contribute to saving lives.

In order to attend the course, learners must:

  • Have the physical, cognitive, mental, and social readiness to take part
  • Be able to perform practical demonstrations on the floor.

On successful completion of the course, learners will be issued with a STA Public Open Water Emergency Response (POWER) Certificate.

The certificate does not expire; however, it is recommended learners undertake annual refresher training during to maintain their skills and keep up to date with any changes to procedures.

The recommended delivery hours are 2 hours; this does not include breaks. The course can be delivered in a single session or over a period of weeks / consecutive days.

There is a maximum of 16 learners to 1 tutor.

Learners are required to undertake CPR and land-based rescue techniques throughout the course. Therefore, access to a suitable venue with appropriate equipment is essential.

On successful completion of the course learners will:

  • Understand and apply the Water Safety Code
  • Understand cold water shock and float to live
  • Be able to recognise a casualty
  • Be able to perform a talking and throw rescue
  • Be able to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation for a drowning adult casualty.

Equipment requirements

  • A suitable venue to demonstrate practical skills
  • Adult resuscitation manikins – minimum 1 : 4 learners
  • AED trainer – minimum 1 : 4 learners
  • Resuscitation pocket masks and face shields
  • Lifesaving equipment e.g. throw bags / lifebuoys – minimum 1 : 4 learners. If dedicated rescue equipment is not available, suitable objects from the surrounding environment, such as a rope or empty plastic bottle may also be used, provided they do not place the rescuer or casualty at risk.
In order to pass the course, learners will be assessed on their CPR, AED and practical open water emergency response skills.

This course is assessed by the course tutor.

Practical assessment

Throughout the course learners will undertake practical CPR, AED and open water emergency response activities to determine their competency. Learners must complete the assessment activities without prompting or guidance from the tutor and all procedures must be completed in line with the STA Public Open Water Emergency Response (POWER) Course Guidance document in order for the learner to be deemed competent.

CPR assessment

Learners must individually demonstrate effective CPR on an adult drowning casualty including the use of an AED. Learners must follow all stated procedures and perform CPR for at least 2 minutes in order to be deemed competent and pass the assessment.

Talking and throw rescue assessment

Learners must individually demonstrate a talking and throw rescue to a casualty. This can be completed as a land-based activity if location restrictions apply.

Re-assessment

If a learner is unsuccessful at the end of the course, the learner will need to complete the course again in full at another time.

STA Approved Lifesaving or Aquatic tutors with an in-date lifesaving certificate who are competent and experienced in open water are able to deliver the STA Public Open Water Emergency Response (POWER) course.

Join Our Mailing List

Stay up-to-date with the latest STA and leisure industry news by subscribing to our mailing list!

Subscribe
STA.co.uk

 The Swimming Teachers' Association Limited, company registered in England (No. 01272519) and a registered charity (No. 1051631 in England and Wales and SC041988 in Scotland) whose objective is: "The preservation of human life by the teaching of swimming, lifesaving and survival techniques." Registered office: Anchor House, Birch Street, Walsall, WS2 8HZ, United Kingdom