Harris County Sheriff's Deputies Earn Swift Water Certification at Fathom Academy
After Hurricane Harvey, the Harris County Sheriff's Office formed a Flood Rescue Group and sent its deputies to Fathom Academy in Georgetown, Texas, to earn swift water rescue certification in Fathom's indoor tank.
Members of the HCSO Flood Rescue Group train in the tank at Fathom Academy. Image: Harris County Sheriff's Office.
When Hurricane Harvey flooded the Houston area in 2017, Harris County deputies carried out countless water rescues. Many of them had little formal swiftwater training and relied largely on instinct. Afterward, the Harris County Sheriff's Office committed to giving its deputies the skills and equipment to meet the next flood prepared.
The result was a new Flood Rescue Group, made up of patrol deputies and members of the Sheriff's Office Maritime Unit. Its members earned their swift water rescue certifications at Fathom Academy, Fathom's indoor swiftwater facility in Georgetown, Texas, and the Sheriff's Office shared video of the group training in the tank.
Inside the Training
As the Associated Press reported in August 2020, the deputies' days at Fathom Academy started early. Mornings covered the fundamentals in the classroom, then everyone moved into the water. In the tank, they faced simulated rain and pumps driving current straight at them, and they worked rescues of "victims" stranded on top of a submerged vehicle.
The course ended with five multi-victim scenarios. The victims didn't behave predictably, and the deputies didn't always have every tool, sometimes a boat, sometimes only rope. It was a test of judgment as much as technique.
Building a Bench of Certified Deputies
By August 2020, Fathom had trained more than 40 Harris County deputies, and the Sheriff's Office was aiming for 90 certified. The plan was to field up to 10 high-water rescue vehicles at once, each with a crew of nine trained deputies backed by a jon boat and an airboat.
That commitment has kept growing. Harris County is now building its own swiftwater rescue training facility, centered on an indoor training tank, so deputies and partner agencies can train close to home.