Rescue 3 International: Who are we?

Rescue 3 International was founded in 1979 after a California search and rescue team nearly lost one of its own during a water rescue. Nearly 30 years later our mission remains the same: to provide flood, water, and rope rescue training to individuals and organizations with an emphasis on ways to keep rescuers from becoming victims. As a result, Rescue 3 has risen to become the recognized leader in water and flood rescue, training over 150,000 students throughout the US and 32 foreign countries. Known for our dynamic curriculum and utilizing state of the art techniques. Rescue 3 is constantly developing new and innovative rescue techniques, improving on old techniques, and working with manufacturers to develop equipment to meet rescuers needs.

One thing that sets us apart is our dedication to providing students with practical, real world experience. To this end, all of Rescue 3's instructors are professionals working in the disciplines they teach. Our instructors include paramedics, firefighters, law enforcement officers, and search and rescue team members, as well as river guides and military personnel. While Rescue 3's instructors come from a wide variety of fields, they all share a passion for saving lives and teaching others to do the same.

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Proven Curriculum

Our curriculum was developed by leaders in the field of technical rescue and is constantly updated and fine-turned by a world-wide cadre of over 700 instructors in 32 different countries. Obviously, with more than 150,000 students who have taken Rescue 3’s courses worldwide, we’ve refined our approach until it is the absolute best in business.

Global Standards

Our courses have been independently audited and found to be compliant with the NFPA 1670 standard for technical rescue in high risk environments including swiftwater, ice and rope rescue. This is important because training to a recognized standard is a key factor in reducing your organization’s risk profile.

Unparalleled Documentation

Court cases have shown time and time again that training isn’t worth much if you can’t prove you did it, so we provide extensive documentation of each student’s training. First, each student is assigned a certification number so that they can access their training record at any time in the future, for employment or legal reasons. Then, each person receives a skill sheet (training record) that lists the specific skills and knowledge taught, the relevant NFPA standard, and whether the student performed or observed each skill. This becomes an invaluable training record that should be kept in a personnel file. Then, each skill sheet is entered into a database maintained by Rescue 3 International. The training record can be accessed at any time with just a phone call or e-mail by simply quoting the individual certification number or person’s name. It is this high-level of record-keeping that is need to demonstrate “due diligence” by employers and is one of the many ways our approach is unmatched by other training companies.

Meet Our President and Director of Curriculum

Yukon Territory, Canada 2006

J. MICHAEL (MIKE) TURNBULL

Mike is president of both Rescue 3 International and The Rescue Source. Since his purchase of Rescue 3 International in 1990, he has overseen the growth and development of the company into a world leader in rescue training.  With its programs and classes being offered in 32 countries around the world Mike enjoys the challenges of developing new markets and classes. 

Since the inception of The Rescue Source in 1990 the company has become the “go to store” for the professional rescuer and creating and developing new products has been a passion for Mike. 

Besides Rescue 3 International and The Rescue Source, Mike is also involved in Spanish Oak Vineyards, a small vineyard.  His favorite past time of late has been spending time with his twin grandsons and enjoying his 160 acre ranch in Oregon.

Curriculum Development Coordinator

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates 2008

Philip Turnbull

Philip Turnbull has thirty-five years in emergency services, with twenty-two of those as fire chief in Josephine County, Oregon. He serves as the Director of Curriculum Development for Rescue 3 International, is the author of numerous training manuals and articles, and has traveled worldwide both as an Instructor Trainer and consultant.

Phil has always been active in community service, currently serving Josephine County as co-chair on the Emergency Management Board and on the Search & Rescue Executive Board.

Professional memberships include the International Association of Fire Chief’s, the National Fire Protection Association, and a life membership in the Oregon Fire Chiefs Association. In 2000 he received a Lifetime Achievement award from the Josephine County Emergency Medical Services Board.

He and his wife Lynn have been married for 32 years, and have raised six children, three through foreign adoption. In his spare time he enjoys rafting and hiking with his children.