Swiftwater Rescue – Rules of Engagement
Greg Merrell
Friday, June 12, 2026
1:00 PM – 2:30 PM
Swiftwater Rescue-Rules of Engagement prepares first responders to arrive first on scene at a water rescue. This course is designed for rescuers at all levels, including experienced technicians, operations level and non-water trained personnel. Water Rescue is a dangerous and dynamic rescue situation, and the most likely technical rescue responders will experience. Lessons learned provide a foundation to perform; scene size-up, scene safety, assessing the victim(s), allocation of resources and rescue decision making. Attendees will be able to identify rescue priorities and utilize these priorities to ensure a safe and successful rescue.
Participants will learn progressive, safe and effective rescue strategies and techniques from simple to complex emphasizing rescue priorities and safety. Proper PPE and water rescue equipment necessary for all levels of rescuers will be discussed. Instruction will include reading the water, understanding hydrology and reading the victim, utilizing these skills to ensure effective scene management, rescue selection, resource allocation and victim management during the rescue. This course will utilize water rescue scenarios and lessons learned to enforce proper tactics; effective decision making, learn from mistakes and improve response capabilities and safety.
Greg Merrell
Greg Merrell, CTO & CFO, is a Battalion Chief with the Oklahoma City Fire Department and a Task Force Leader with OK-TF 1 Urban Search & Rescue. He brings over three decades of leadership experience spanning military aviation, emergency services, and technical rescue. A former UH-60 Blackhawk Pilot-in-Command, Aviation Safety Officer, and Fire Officer, Greg has led teams on military and US&R deployments worldwide.
He is a nationally recognized instructor in leadership and technical rescue, with teaching experience across the U.S. and Australia. Greg served as a technical rescue company officer with responsibilities in rope rescue, trench rescue, confined space, structural collapse, SCUBA recovery, water rescue, and boat operations. He also served as the company officer at the hazardous materials technical rescue response station.
Greg has developed specialized curriculum and consults with multiple agencies and homeland security on training programs, rescue team development, and deployment strategies. A frequent conference speaker, he has presented at over 35 national events and authored nine published articles on leadership, incident command, technical rescue, and disaster response.
