Cave Rescue

The National Cave Rescue Commission  conducts two cave rescue courses. The first is the Cave Rescue Orientation Course. It is a weekend course that includes many elements of the weeklong operations and management seminar, except that it does not include vertical rescue. It includes both lecture and hands-on practice as well as a simulated cave rescue operation on the second day. 

The second class is the Operations and Management Seminar, commonly called simply the "Weeklong", is an intensive cave rescue and vertical rescue course divided into three levels. Each level runs the entire week and is a prerequisite for the following level. The three courses are generally taught concurrently at the "Weeklong", with three different groups of students and instructors remaining together throughout the week.

Each level generally consists of classroom activity in the morning, with a practical exercise each afternoon to reinforce the material presented in the morning lecture. All three levels come together at the end of the course to perform a large scale simulated cave rescue. The instructors set up the scenario and observe for safety issues only. The students use the skills they have each learned to fill all the roles needed to actually carry out the rescue operation.