The AvSAR Level 2 is an intensive three-day in person course and involves combination of online pre-course work, classroom activities and field exercises. 

• Course days are long, they can begin at 0730 and go until 1730 hours with evening assignments. Students are recommended to avoid scheduling any outside activities during this period. 
• Field trips take place in inclement weather so students must be equipped to operate in all weather conditions (example: -28 degrees Celsius, strong winds and/or heavy snowfall or rain) 
• There are no scheduled meal breaks. Students must be prepared to eat and drink on the go. Many students save time by pre-planning and preparing meals. 
• Students must be strong backcountry travelers, able to safely travel in a variety of snow and terrain conditions on skis/ snowboard, or snowmobile

More details on the course and expectations for learners can be found in the AvSAR L2 course outline.

AvSAR Level 2 goals and learning objectives are displayed in the course DACUM .

 

Applicants must present these certificates on the first day of the Avalanche Search and Rescue Level 2 course: 

• Incident Command System (ICS) 100 course certificate. (FEMA provides a free online course or there are others available for a small fee such as H2Safety  or ICSCANADA  [available in French])
  

Applicants must have and prove at time of registration:

• CAA Avalanche Operations Level 1
  
• Be 19 or older for courses in British Columbia, OR 18 or older for courses in Alberta and Quebec
• Advanced backcountry skiing, splitboarding, or snowmobiling skills, and good fitness. If students do not meet the criteria described below, they will be required to leave the course. Refer to the What to Expect tab for a further description of what constitutes an advanced backcountry traveller. 

 

Recommended:

• 80-hour first aid certificate

*If you have not completed the Operations Level 1 but feel you have enough experience to take the AvSAR Level 2 (e.g. member of a SAR group), then contact the ITP Coordinator. Or if you have taken a similar course you may apply for a Prior Learning Assessment*

  

Registration opens online on September 5, 2024 at 10:00AM Pacific. Course dates, locations and registration information are available on the course calendar .

 

Course registration is highly competitive; students should create a CAA account prior to registration day, be signed into the site when registration opens, and have a payment method with an adequate credit limit ready. 

 

A partial payment option of 50% at time of registration is available, with final payment due 45 days before the start of the course. 

We will hold a secondary registration on September 24 at 10:00AM Pacific for seats on a limited number of AvSAR L1, AvSAR L2, IAT-Basic, and Ops 1 courses. Please add yourself to one or more course waitlists on the course calendar to receive further instructions via email.

Registration Fee	$ 250.00	Non-refundable
Course Materials	$ 30.00	Non-refundable
Tuition	$ 1,115.00	Subject to the Refund and Cancellation Policy
Total	$ 1,395.00

 

An optional hard copy of the course manual is available for purchase. For students who reside outside of Canada, an additional $100 international shipping fee will be applied.

 

Information on potential funding for CAA students can be found on the Scholarships & Grants webpage.

 

View a sample schedule for the AvSAR Level 2 here. Days on the course are long and it is the student's responsibility to take care of their personal needs. This includes food, drinks, proper clothing, and ensuring they are well rested and ready to learn.

Students are responsible for their own transportation to and from the classroom and field locations.

If your course requires lift access, tickets will be provided by your instructors. If you have a season pass for the area, please bring this with you.  

Upon registration, all students will receive a confirmation email that contains links to the course logistics. 

 

The AvSAR L2 equipment list outlines what you need to bring to the course. Come ready for classroom time and field work. Make sure to have warm clothing. Students will need to be familiar and well versed with their transceiver functions.

Students who are well prepared with the necessary equipment and basic knowledge will benefit everyone by allowing us to conduct the course’s daily sessions in the most efficient and effective manner possible.  

Participants’ learning on this course are evaluated using three components, pre-course questions, an AvSAR skills sheet, and an AvSAR team leader assessment. Students must be successful in all components to pass the course.

 

Pre-Course Questions

Students must complete short-answer questions before arriving to the course. These are marked out of 25 and students must achieve a minimum of 17.5 (70%) to pass this component.

 

AvSAR Skills Sheet

Each student is responsible for completing a skills sheet. The skills sheet serves as a self-evaluation tool to track transceiver, probing, and excavation competencies. To successfully complete this assessment, the instructor will verify each skill by signing off after having observed it.

 

AvSAR Team Leader Assessment

This assessment includes two elements, leading a scenario and documenting another.

Students practice leading a response on Day 2. After this response, they are responsible for documenting the incident using the forms provided. Completion requirements are outlined in the Incident Documentation Rubric. Students submit the documentation the morning of Day 3.

Each student will lead a response scenario on Day 3. After the scenario, they respond to a series of questions from the instructor and then lead a debrief. To pass this component, students can have one below standard in Manage Response and Post Response. These are described in detail in the AvSAR Team Leader Rubric

 

Upon successful completion of this course, students are issued an AvSAR Level 2 certificate along with formal written feedback from the instructor group.

 

Further details are available on the AvSAR L2 Evaluation Scheme.

Refer to the student resources webpage for a complete list of student policies, the CAA Release of Liability and Waiver and other information.