CQUniversity's Emergency Response and Innovation Centre trains Queenslanders in international body recovery course

CQUniversity's new Emergency Response and Innovation Centre (ERIC) delivered Queensland's first Body Recovery from Water course last week (14 May) to educate and prepare emergency service workers that lead or participate in body recoveries.

The full day programme brought together 20 participants from across the state to complete specialist training outlining the complexities and techniques of body recovery from shallow depth water environments.

Course co-presenter and New Zealand water recovery specialist Geoff Bray explained the training course prepared participants for all aspects of body recovery in both fresh water and marine incidents.

"What makes this course different is we cover a multitude of issues - from legal, professional and ethical standards to disaster victim identification, decomposition and infectious disease control, even management of family and media.

"This course has been attended by police officers, coroners, investigators, paramedics, rescue technicians, park rangers, public information managers and other allied practitioners from around the world and has been highly acclaimed," he said.

In 2014, the course won a Special Commendation from the prestigious Higgins and Langley Awards in Swiftwater Rescue. The course draws upon experiences of affected families giving emergency workers a better understanding of providing a more professional and compassionate response.

ERIC Director Associate professor Steve Glassey who also co-presented the course' said the course would be made available in face-to-face mode in any location across Australia upon request as well as being made available soon online from CQUniversity for individuals wanting to learn more.

"This is one of many initiatives we have planned for ERIC to help industry and the community to manage and prepare for disaster-related impacts by harnessing the multi-disciplinary expertise from the University and around the world," Assoc Prof Glassey said.

Organisations interested in learning more about ERIC including partnerships and the development of customised short courses such as the Body Recovery from Water course are encouraged to contact Associate Professor Glassey: s.glassey@cqu.edu.au