CFS Press - Swiftwater Rescue Books

CFS Press is a small press dedicated to getting information about flood and swiftwater rescue into the hands of people who need it—firefighters, rescue, EMS, law enforcement and other emergency services personnel—in a clear, easy to read form. We are located in Asheville, North Carolina, in the heart of the Blue Ridge.

Flash flooding is the top weather-related cause of death in the U.S. and worldwide, and one of the most dangerous to the rescuer. CFS Press gives you the information you need to make rescues and stay alive.

Articles on
Flood and Swiftwater Rescue

Swiftwater Rescue 2nd Edition offers an in-depth look at swiftwater rescue for the professional -- firefighters, park rangers, law enforcement, EMS personnel -- as well as anyone who might be faced with the possibility of a flood or swiftwater rescue.

Topics include rescuer safety considerations and equipment; river hydrology; equipment; shore-based, boat-based, and in-water rescue techniques; medical considerations; rigging for river rescue; incident command, animal rescue, and swiftwater training.

Densely illustrated with line drawings and black & white photographs, the second edition also covers advanced subjects like the use of helicopters in swiftwater rescue and special situations like low-head dams, urban flooding, and flood channel rescues.

Revised and expanded – new information in the second edition includes:

photos and first-hand accounts of rescues
animal rescue
incident command
flood mitigation
flood rescue mobilization and management
urban swiftwater

"The definitive book on the art and science of planning, preparing for, and conducting swiftwater rescue without getting killed. Every firefighter and rescue professional should read it."
- Larry Collins, Battalion Chief, Los Angeles County Fire Department (USAR Task Force 103)

Swiftwater Rescue 2nd Edition
ISBN 978-0-9882435-0-7
Softcover 8½x11 inch perfect bound, inside B&W
274 pages, 235 illustrations, 116 photographs
Appendix / Bibliography / Index. Suggested retail $34.95 US

More about Swiftwater Rescue • Order Swiftwater Rescue

The original is still the greatest! The fourth edition of River Rescue is now available, and it's bigger and better than ever—292 fact-filled pages, 106 illustrations, and 144 photographs.

new photos and first-hand accounts of rescues
expanded material on big-water rescue—new gear and methods
self-rescue and rescue of others—by hand, boat, rope, and other ways
tools and techniques—rope work, throw bags, boat handling, high- and low-tech gear to use when seconds count
rescue organization—leadership, teamwork, patient care, evacuation, and more

"The authoritative reference for canoe, kayak, and raft—from beginner self-rescue to big river teamwork."

River Rescue 4th Ed.
ISBN-13 978-0-9649585-6-2
ISBN-10 0-9649585-6-2
Softcover 6x9 inch perfect bound, inside B&W
292 pages, 106 illustrations, 144 photographs
Appendix / Bibliography / Index. Suggested retail $24.95 US
Order River Rescue 4th Edition.

REVISED AND EXPANDED! Now with 60% more information, the Swiftwater Rescue Field Guide has been expanded from 52 to 84 information-packed pages. New sections include:

Rigging, including anchors; drooping high lines; and Z-drag.

Animal rescue, including animal behavior; rescue of stranded and swimming animals; the capture of dogs, cats, and horses.

Urban flooding and rescue, including HAZMAT and field decontamination; storm water systems; and incident preplanning.

Unpinning boats and rafts.

Drowning fact reference

Every emergency responder needs to have a copy of this tough, waterproof 4X6” guide handy. Made to fit in a pocket, a glove compartment or a emergency response pack, it’s the ultimate (and only) field reference to swiftwater rescue.

In addition to the new material, the Swiftwater Rescue Field Guide still covers topics like basic rescuer safety considerations, river hydrology, equipment, shore-based, boat-based, and in-water rescue techniques; knots, rigging for river rescue, helicopters, incident command; and special situations like low-head dams and flood channel rescues.

If it’s been awhile since you took your last swiftwater rescue course, you’ll appreciate having this handy pocket reference.

Swiftwater Rescue Field Guide by Slim Ray. CFS Press, Asheville, NC, 2002. Paperback, spiral bound, 4 x 6”, 84 pages. ISBN 0-9649585-3-8. Suggested retail $19.95.

More about SWFG • Order Swiftwater Rescue Field Guide

Animal Rescue in Flood and Swiftwater Incidents CFS Press announces the latest book by Slim Ray. This covers an often overlooked aspect of flood and swiftwater rescue; the rescue of non-human victims.

More about Animal Rescue

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Read a review about Animal Rescue

Shock Troops of the Confederacy
The Sharpshooter Battalions of the Army of Northern Virginia
–by Fred L. Ray

A comprehensive history of the elite troops of the Confederacy, as well as an essential reference for historians, enthusiasts, and reenactors.

Go to Shock Troops WebSite

Sharpshooter The Selected Letters and Papers of Maj. Eugene Blackford, C.S.A. Volume 1
–edited by Fred L. Ray

The extensive letters of Eugene Blackford, a Virginia officer serving in an Alabama regiment, allow the modern reader to see the Civil War and contemporary society through the eyes of someone who lived it..

Go to Sharpshooter WebSite

River Moods Poster Heavy, durable paper, measures approx 18 x 24 inches

Return of a classic. We have located a small quantity of the iconic River Moods posters, depciting a rescue during a driving rainstorm on Section IV of the Chattooga River.

There are only a few and when ther're gone, they're gone, so if you want one don't delay.

Order River Moods Poster

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8 Pelham Road, Asheville, NC 28803
Phone 828-505-2917

[email protected]