At ISAR3, we are frequently asked about "DEFRA courses" by organisations involved in water-related operations. While our Rescue 3 courses for emergency responders and rescue teams are fully DEFRA compliant, we consider that a "DEFRA course" isn’t always the best fit for many industries. We are the national contract holder for water safety training within DEFRA and support the Environment Agency (EA). There are issues with the DEFRA scheme when it comes to industry clients that mean it might not be the best fit. Certain training providers push DEFRA as a way of establishing market credibility, so here we set out the discussion in detail for you. If your team is involved in areas like construction, bridge maintenance, ecology, field services etc there are potential issues with specifying a DEFRA course you should consider.
To help you choose the right training, we’ve simplified the course selection process to ensure that you receive the most relevant and effective training for your operational needs.
Key courses include:
The Rescue 3 courses are DEFRA compliant but for your team to maintain the DEFRA Module status you have additional training and CPD requirements post training that you need to enable and record. For example a DEFRA Mod 1 team must recertify every year. For Annex H training you MUST have 1 x Mod 2 Instructor plus an Assistant Instructor for a maximum of 12 delegates. You MUST complete and record a minimum of two hours CPD per calendar year covering the learning outcomes of Module 1. Recorded annual activity-based training should cover the following subjects as a minimum: donning, doffing, and care of water rescue PPE. Do you need this flood specific qualification for ecology work on a stream in summer?
It's important to note that there is no official “DEFRA course.” DEFRA is not an accrediting body for water rescue training - although some providers "claim" to be DEFRA accredited. Instead, DEFRA provide guideline on minimal course content. Anyone can claim to offer a “DEFRA compliant.” course without any due diligence from DEFRA itself, we think these claims are misleading.
At ISAR3 are a Rescue 3-accredited training provider. Our Rescue 3 courses meet DEFRA compliance standards but are also overseen by Rescue 3 Europe, which is the official accrediting body that develops the course content and monitors instructor development and performance. This ensures the highest level of safety, best practices, and expert training in line with the specific needs of your organisation. We will help you to understand the additional flood related content, inter agency working and post course CPD requirements if a DEFRA Multi Agency Flooding course is what you really need. Simply putting a DEFRA logo on sales or web material and claiming to be accredited is a marketing scam.
When you take a “DEFRA compliant” Rescue 3 course through ISAR3, you are assured that Rescue 3 Europe is overseeing all aspects of the course, from instructor qualifications to student assessments. For industries that don’t need flood rescue training, we recommend considering our Safe Working Near Water (SWNW) or Safe Working In Water (SWIW) courses, which are tailored to meet the specific risks and operational demands of your work environment.
The DEFRA Flood Rescue Concept of Operations (ConOp) sets the standards for flood rescue teams in the UK, focusing on their minimum training and equipment requirements. While this framework is crucial for those directly involved in flood rescue operations, it is not designed for industries like construction or environmental monitoring, which may operate near water but are not generally involved in flood response. DEFRA qualified teams can apply to a national register for flood response - this at times brings funding with it. the scheme is designed to develop inter agency flood response capability. DEFRA do not specify any training scheme / provider for commercial reasons, so have developed the minimum standards in the ConOp and left it to the market to develop solutions. DEFRA trained teams are then "Credentialled" through a National Program of declared team audits and when deployed to flooding, there is NO quality control by DEFRA of who is delivering training to the DEFRA ConOp outside of the national declared asset system. YOU will have to do your own due diligence when seeking a training provider.
For non-flood-related operations, ISAR3 recommends courses designed for industry users - the Rescue 3 industry courses, such as Safe Working Near Water (SWNW) and Safe Working In Water (SWIW). These are far more relevant and applicable to the operational requirements of industry professionals. We know because we have been developing and delivering these courses longer than DEFRA, Rescue3 and all our competitors, for over 20 years we have been the Environment Agency's National Training partner developing and refining these courses and delivering this training to tens of thousands of staff across multiple industries.
For those working near water; construction teams, or environmental monitoring personnel—training focused on flood response might not be appropriate. Instead, these professionals might benefit from a focus that emphasize water safety, organizational policy and procedure, equipment and technique selection, planning and working within a safe system of work, self-rescue techniques and robust safe working practices on site. Our Safe Working Near Water (SWNW) and Safe Working In Water (SWIW) courses are designed to address these needs.
Flood rescue training, which often involves heavy equipment and complex rescue strategies, is not necessary for professionals working in water-adjacent environments. Instead, they benefit from practical water safety skills that enable them to develop judgment, evaluate risk and work safely in their specific environments.
At ISAR3, we are a Rescue 3-accredited training provider, meaning all our water training courses are externally audited by Rescue 3 to ensure our instructors exhibit the highest international standards of safety, effectiveness, and best practices. Rescue 3 Europe accredits all of our water safety and rescue training, ensuring you receive training that is not only compliant but also comprehensive and highly relevant to your needs. Rescue 3 is used by many of the UKs specialist emergency response teams, so you know it has pedigree.
With over 150 training providers and 1,250 instructors throughout Europe, Rescue 3 Europe oversees a broad network that ensures every course we deliver is tailored to the operational realities of our clients. This means that whether you’re in construction, environmental monitoring, or working in other sectors near water, you can trust ISAR3 to deliver expert training that fits your needs.
We understand that choosing the right training can be difficult, you rely on specialist training organizations to provide you accurate and truthful information on which to decide the best fit. DEFRA is used by some to establish market credibility, some even post the DEFRA log on their courses to suggest they are officially accredited. If you don't go to flooding, you probably don't need DEFRA, if you do, you will need to do the required CPD to maintain your DEFRA status. ISAR3 are confident that we can guide you to the right course that is best suited for your organisation. Contact us today to find out how ISAR3 can help you improve safety and performance in your water-related operations.