Higgins & Langley Memorial and Education Fund

Higgins & Langley Memorial and Education Fund The Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards in Swiftwater Rescue honor outstanding achievement in the technical rescue discipline of swiftwater and flood rescue.

We present awards annually in SWIFTWATER - FLOOD RESCUE. And we sponsor a variety of education programs, including:

SwiftH20-News:
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/SwiftH2O-News

Swiftwater Rescue News blog:
http://swiftwaterrescuenews.wordpress.com

TWITTER postings, which are related to swiftwater/flood rescue and drowning prevention, are here:
http://twitter.com/DrowningSupport

Drowning S

upport Network, a peer grief support group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/DrowningSupportNetwork

DROWNING SUPPORT NETWORK ADVOCACY GROUP (DSN Advocacy) is working to create change in the way drowning deaths and other deaths in the aquatic environment are managed, including rescue and recovery efforts. We are also focusing on prevention to keep people out of trouble to begin with:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/DSNAdvocacy

Drowning Support Network - blog:
http://drowningsupportnetwork.wordpress.com

HIGGINS LANGLEY MEMORIAL AWARDS Newsletter:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HigginsLangleyMemorialAwards

03/06/2025

Nominations for the Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards in Swiftwater Rescue are open now.

The deadline is March 15th.

Please copy and share as needed. And thank you all for your service and support!

https://www.facebook.com/HigginsLangleyAwards

Higgins & Langley Awards: Recognizing outstanding achievements in flood and swiftwater rescue worldwide

Karen Langley Stephen Obituary
06/10/2022

Karen Langley Stephen Obituary

Spirited. Sophisticated. Scrappy. Just a few words used by family and friends to describe the incomparable Karen Langley Stephen who passed from this life too soon on August 3, 2020

05/28/2022
05/22/2022

The Higgins and Langley Board of Directors are pleased to announce and congratulate the recipients of the 2021 Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards. The Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards are not heroism awards. They recognize preparedness, teamwork, and a job performed often under extreme conditions, where training is vital to the success of rescue missions, and the safety of rescue personnel.

Special Commendation Awards:

Ade Scott – England: In recognition for your outstanding contributions to the dissemination of water rescue education and information to the global community of rescue professionals as the editor of Technical Rescue Magazine.

Dr. Robert B. Kauffman – Maryland: In recognition for your outstanding contributions to the dissemination of water rescue education and information to the global community of rescue professionals through swiftwater rescue training publications and media.

Incident Awards:

Berwyn Fire Company – Pennsylvania: In recognition for their leadership in the challenging and complex swiftwater rescue of an adult trapped in a vehicle in Valley Creek – Valley Forge National Historic Park.

Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad - NJ: In recognition for their response to Hurricane IDA that resulted in 55 rescues, most of which occurred at night.

Montgomery County Urban Search and Rescue – PA: In recognition for their response to Hurricane IDA that resulted in 54 rescued/evacuated victims and 12 animals.

New Jersey Task Force One—New Jersey: NJ-TF1 is recognized for their response to Hurricane IDA that resulted 74 evacuations, 11 rescues, mutual aid assists, and multiple victim recoveries.

South Branch Emergency Services—New Jersey: In recognition for their response to Hurricane IDA and utilization of a high-water vehicle platform using best practices for rescue applications.

Outstanding Achievement Awards:

Fire and Rescue New South Wales – Australia: Strike Team Zulu is recognized for their response and actions to the Northern Rivers Flood that resulted in the rescue of 220 people and 39 animals.

Liam O’Neill - Arizona: In recognition of quick decision making and immediate tactical swiftwater actions to save lives during the Tatahatso Flash Flood in the Grand Canyon.

Lifetime Achievement Awards:

Craig Smith - North Carolina: You are recognized for your service, dedication, and leadership to North Carolina for water rescue program development, tactical operations, and technical expertise. Your contributions have made North Carolina a gold standard in the swiftwater community that has saved thousands of individuals from catastrophic weather and flooding events.

This year’s recipients will be honored for their outstanding accomplishments at the Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards ceremony held on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at the IAWRP Symposium in South Bend, IN.

05/22/2022

Congratulations to the recipients of the Higgins & Langley Memorial Awards in Swiftwater Rescue. These prestigious awards will be presented on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at the IAWRP Symposium in South Bend, Indiana.

The Higgins and Langley Board of Directors are pleased to announce and congratulate the recipients of the 2021 Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards. The Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards are not heroism awards. They recognize preparedness, teamwork, and a job performed often under extreme conditions, where training is vital to the success of the rescue missions, and the safety of rescue personnel.
Special Commendation Awards:
Ade Scott – England: In recognition for your outstanding contributions to the dissemination of water rescue education and information to the global community of rescue professionals as the editor of Technical Rescue Magazine.
Dr. Robert B. Kauffman – Maryland: In recognition for your outstanding contributions to the dissemination of water rescue education and information to the global community of rescue professionals through swiftwater rescue training publications and media.
Incident Awards:
Berwyn Fire Company – Pennsylvania: In recognition for their leadership in the challenging and complex swiftwater rescue of an adult trapped in a vehicle in Valley Creek – Valley Forge National Historic Park.
Flemington-Raritan First Aid and Rescue Squad - NJ: In recognition for their response to Hurricane IDA that resulted in 55 rescues, most of which occurred at night.
Montgomery County Urban Search and Rescue – PA: In recognition for their response to Hurricane IDA that resulted in 54 rescued/evacuated victims and 12 animals.
New Jersey Task Force One—New Jersey: NJ-TF1 is recognized for their response to Hurricane IDA that resulted 74 evacuations, 11 rescues, mutual aid assists, and multiple victim recoveries.
South Branch Emergency Services—New Jersey: In recognition for their response to Hurricane IDA and utilization of a high-water vehicle platform using best practices for rescue applications.
Outstanding Achievement Awards:
Fire and Rescue New South Wales – Australia: Strike Team Zulu is recognized for their response and actions to the Northern Rivers Flood that resulted in the rescue of 220 people and 39 animals
Liam O’Neill - Arizona: In recognition of quick decision making and immediate tactical swiftwater actions to save lives during the Tatahatso Flash Flood in the Grand Canyon.
Lifetime Achievement Awards:
Craig Smith - North Carolina: You are recognized for your service, dedication, and leadership to North Carolina for water rescue program development, tactical operations, and technical expertise. Your contributions have made North Carolina a gold standard in the swiftwater community that has saved thousands of individuals from catastrophic weather and flooding events.
This year’s recipients will be honored for their outstanding accomplishments at the Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards ceremony held on Sunday, June 12, 2022, at the IAWRP Symposium in South Bend, IN.

Technical Rescue: Urban Flooding—Boat OperationsMay 16, 2022Andrew McIntyre plunges into a comprehensive discussion of t...
05/19/2022

Technical Rescue: Urban Flooding—Boat Operations
May 16, 2022
Andrew McIntyre plunges into a comprehensive discussion of the intricacies of using boats to get to survivors in towns that are under water after a hurricane or other catastrophic water event.

Andrew McIntyre plunges into a comprehensive discussion of the intricacies of using boats to get to survivors in towns that are under water after a hurricane or other catastrophic water event.

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We present awards annually in SWIFTWATER - FLOOD RESCUE:

The Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards were established in 1993 by members of the Swiftwater Rescue Committee of the National Association for Search and Rescue (NASAR) in honor of Earl Higgins, a writer and filmmaker who lost his life in 1980 while rescuing a child who was swept down the flood-swollen Los Angeles River, and Jeffrey Langley, a Los Angeles County Fire Department firefighter-paramedic, who lost his life in a helicopter incident in 1993.

Flooding is the leading cause of weather related death worldwide. Rescuers who lack proper swiftwater/flood rescue training and equipment are at risk of serious injury and loss of life. Every year, would-be rescuers, both civilians and first responders, including fire-rescue, law enforcement, and military personnel, die in swiftwater incidents. Although improvements in response capability are being made within many public safety agencies, others remain inadequately prepared to perform safe and effective swiftwater and flood rescues.

Higgins and Langley Memorial Awards have increased awareness about the need for specialized swiftwater and flood rescue training. As a result, worldwide training certifications have increased and agencies have been inspired to develop viable water rescue programs, both for the protection of the public, as well as the safety of their personnel.