Professional Qualifications
Professional Qualifications
Is completing a class enough?
Rescue 3’s philosophy is to train and practice in order to safely gain experience and judgment. Completing a class is not enough to maintain professional mastery of a skill. Continued practice and skill maintenance are required to become a professional and competent rescuer.
So, how do we measure competency in rescue professionals? The answer is the Professional Qualification Assessment from Rescue 3 International.
The Professional Qualification Assessment (ProQual) evaluates an individual’s mastery of a given discipline. Evaluation takes place without instructor tutorials or assistance from teammates. It is a test of an individual’s problem-solving and discipline specific skills.
Why ProQual ?
Many individuals become certified immediately after learning new material. Such certifications are often completed with assistance from teammates and/or instructors in an educational environment. Competent rescuers, in comparison, have mastered a skill and operate autonomously with expertise. To assure an individual is working on mastery of the discipline, Rescue 3 International ProQual requires 3 weeks to a year between learning material for the first time and taking the ProQual Assessment. Our third-party testing offers a higher standard of operation and more reliability within your team and/or organization. A passing score on the ProQual is also an initial requirement to become a Rescue 3 instructor and provides a way for professionals from other organizations to demonstrate proficiency.
Our process: ProQual applicants are given discipline-related problems to address during their testing session. They are evaluated on the suitability of their solutions according to the SOP’s/SOG’s of their organization and the standards they follow (RQ3, NFPA, Rope Access, ISA, MRA, SAR…). Tested individuals are graded with mastery, proficiency, or inadequacy in each skill. Grades are based on an established matrix of rescuer competency, confidence, timeliness, and appropriateness, which is provided to applicants before testing begins.
Current ProQual Disciplines:
Rope Rescue
- Rope Rescue General
- Rapid Extrication Module / Reach and Treat (Available Spring 2023)
Water Rescue
- Swiftwater Rescue Technician
- Boat Operations
