NCRC Regional, March 29 - April 5, 2025, Sherwood, TN

A technical seminar presented by the
 Southeastern Region of the

National Cave Rescue Commission

in cooperation with

Chattanooga-Hamilton County Rescue Service

Sherwood, Tennessee

March 29 - April 5, 2025

Pre-Registration
Class size in Level 1 is limited to 30 students, and SPAR is limited to 12 students. Level 1 students will be registered on a first-come basis. To make SPAR registration process more equitable and accessible, we are conducting a pre-registration process. The SPAR lottery pre-registration has ended and the waitlist is very long. We are not accepting additional pre-registrations for SPAR at this time. By completing this page, you agree that your payment information will be used to process your payment for the full amount if you are selected through this process. If selected, you will be charged for the course; be sure to read the cancellation policy before pre-registering. If you are not selected, we will automatically add your name to the course wait-list.

About this Seminar

NCRC Level 1 (March 29 - April 5, 2025)

Level 1 provides extensive training in all phases of cave rescue, including vertical litter movement. The curriculum covers the cave environment, ropes and devices, leadership and followership, incident command, patient packaging, medical and psychological considerations, hypothermia, media relations, raising, lowering, and belaying. It prepares a student to be a task force member in an organized cave rescue. A typical day involves lectures in the morning, field exercises in the afternoon, and skills check-offs in the evening. The seminar will end with a mock rescue, with leadership provided by experienced cave rescuers. This seminar will introduce students to nationally adopted cave rescue practices and the caving environment. Successful graduates are eligible to take Level 2 training which is offered at the national seminar each year. The seminar provides approximately 80 hours of instruction over seven days. The classes are physically strenuous and participants must be in good health. Students should be prepared to work in difficult situations, both above and below ground.


NCRC Small Party Assisted Rescue (SPAR; March 29 - April 1, 2025)

SPAR is an intensive four-day introduction to cave rescue techniques that a party of six or fewer people can perform, using minimal gear that can be carried on caving trips. Topics covered in the class include preventing and preparing for common caving-related problems, basic medical skills, moving patients through obstacles, helping people who are stuck on rope, and building and operating haul and lower systems. The seminar provides approximately 40 hours of instruction over four days. The classes are physically strenuous and participants must be in good health. Students should be prepared to work in difficult situations, both above and below ground. Students will need to study some material in advance so that the sessions reinforce and build on existing knowledge. Students will practice skills in a rope gym setting, and then build on those skills at cliff and cave sites. The course will be demanding, with long days and evenings, but will provide participants with valuable skills that they can use to help themselves and others when they are needed most.


Prerequisites
For safety and class efficiency, all students should be competent and comfortable with knot-tying and vertical-caving skills. Before taking either course, all students must successfully demonstrate proficiency in tying knots and single rope technique (SRT). Level 1 students must demonstrate proficiency with the basic knots and SRT skills described in the Level 1 Entry Skills Guide. In addition to the basic knots and SRT skills, SPAR students are also required to demonstrate proficiency with passing knots while on rope, as described in this entry prep document: SPAR Entry Prep 2023 v231205.pdf. SPAR students will be encouraged to complete their entrance skills demonstration prior to the course (details will be provided after registration).

Anyone under the age of 18 must contact the course coordinator to make arrangements prior to registration.

Cost
The course fee, which includes meals and on-site tent/dry RV camping with showers and porta-potties, is:

   Level 1: $855 for members of the National Speleological Society (NSS) or $905 for non-NSS members.  

A small number of scholarships (up to half of NSS member tuition) are available for students with demonstrated financial need.

   SPAR: $250 for members of the National Speleological Society (NSS) or $300 for non-NSS members. The SPAR lottery pre-registration has ended and the waitlist is very long. We are not accepting additional pre-registrations for SPAR at this time.

Non-NSS members may pre-register at the NSS member rate by first joining or renewing NSS membership. NSS offers substantially discounted membership rates to individuals under the age of 26.

Course Details
Click on the titles below for more information about the course.

Course Location

The 37-acre Circle K Corral is located in Franklin State Forest, on Monteagle Mountain (2 Champion Road, Sewanee, TN 37375). It is about an hour west of Chattanooga and 1.5 hours east of Nashville. A 7,000 sq. ft. building provides classroom, rope gym, and dining space. Bluffs are within walking distance and caves are less than a 40-minute drive. All camping and showers are on site.

If you are traveling from out of the area, the closest airports are Nashville and Chattanooga. No public transportation is available to the site, so renting a car or sharing a ride are recommended.

Schedule

  • Friday, March 28: Check-in and dinner at 5:00 PM, with Level 1 vertical skills workshop (optional) and remaining SPAR entry skills demonstrations until approximately 9:00 PM.
  • Saturday, March 29 - end of course: After breakfast on site, sessions will begin at 8:00 AM and will continue until approximately 9 PM, with breaks for lunch and dinner. Bring your standard caving gear to class each morning.
  • Students should come prepared each day with snacks, water, and appropriate gear and clothing for classroom, rope gym, and cliff or cave activities. The schedule is subject to change at the discretion of the instructors.

Required Personal Equipment

All gear must be clean and in good condition. All life safety gear (e.g., helmets and harnesses) must be less than 10 years from manufacture date. You must bring:

  • UIAA or CE approved helmet with a three (or more) point suspension system and non-elastic chinstrap.
  • Three electric, helmet-mountable sources of light, each sufficient to exit a cave
  • Caving-appropriate rugged outer layer with wicking synthetic base layer clothing
  • Sturdy boots with lug soles (no tennis shoes)
  • Well-fitting full-fingered gloves (garden gloves are fine)
  • Kneepads
  • Durable water bottles (2 liters capacity) and high energy packable snacks
  • Small, heavy-duty pack for carrying gear underground
  • Full SRT system including commercially manufactured seat harness, at least 2 gripping points (ascenders) attached to the seat harness directly or via a cowstail/tether, at least one of which should be operable with one hand, a second cowstail, and an appropriate descent control device (4-bar microrack with hyperbar, bobbin with braking device, standard rappel rack, or scarab-style device). Cowstails/tethers should be at least 9 mm dynamic rope, or commercially manufactured.
  • Two locking carabiners, independent of SRT system
  • 20 feet of one-inch tubular webbing (at least 15 kN minimum breaking strength) - two 20' pieces (Level 1); one 20' piece (SPAR)
  • SPAR students should also bring any pulleys, Prusiks, or small rescue gear that you normally carry in your cave pack.
  • Level 1 students must have the NCRC Manual of US Cave Rescue Techniques, Third edition; available at: https://members.caves.org/store/viewproduct.aspx?id=14103126 or from other vendors.
  • Level 1 students must have a cave-worthy watch, paper, and pencil

Recommended Personal Equipment

  • One or two large garbage bags (contractor weight, 55 gallon works best)
  • Small candle and matches/lighter
  • Wrist watch to be worn underground (cell phones for time keeping aren’t recommended)
  • Paper/pencil for underground use (e.g., small notebook with golf pencil)
  • Personal first aid kit (small)
  • Camp chair or sit pad
  • Balaclava/lightweight hat to wear under helmet
  • Reusable coffee mug/tumbler

White-Nose Syndrome

All gear brought to the seminar must be clean. The caves that we will use for the in-cave exercises are located in an area where the fungus responsible for causing White Nose Syndrome in bats has been detected, so all gear used in the cave should be cleaned and disinfected after the seminar, according to the latest protocols:  https://www.whitenosesyndrome.org/static-page/decontamination-information

Meals and Lodging

The course fee covers meals (Friday, March 28 dinner through April 1 lunch for SPAR or through April 5 lunch for Level 1). We will do our best to accommodate dietary preferences and restrictions that you share when pre-registering, but please remember you are ultimately responsible for your own health. Students should bring their own snacks as needed for field exercises. Bring your own reusable coffee mug/tumbler.

Primitive tent camping and dry RV parking with access to showers and porta-potties will be available on site. You must bring your own tent, sleeping bag, etc. No power generators are permitted. Water is available elsewhere on site and tanks are available for RV campers to transport water as needed. Hotel lodging is not recommended, but hotels are available in Monteagle, Winchester, and South Pittsburg (all are about a 20-25 min drive to the property). Bear in mind that class sessions will start promptly at 8:00 AM and will run late into the evening each day, so staying on site is recommended. If you are staying off site, please provide location information when you check in for the seminar. 

Cancellation Policy and Fees

Student initiated cancellations will incur the following fees:
 Before February 15: $25.00.
 Feb. 15 - March 1: 50% of course fee.
  After March 1: no refund.

Communicable Disease Considerations

We will be following local and state recommendations. At this time, masks are optional, and we fully support anyone who chooses to wear one. If you suspect you may have Covid, Influenza or similar communicable diseases, or if you show symptoms, please be respectful of your fellow course participants and do not attend the course (we will waive any cancellation fee).

About NCRC

The National Cave Rescue Commission is a commission of the National Speleological Society (NSS), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. NCRC serves as NSS’s representative on issues of cave rescue training and operations. By design, NCRC is not an operating cave rescue team. Rather, its mission is to provide training and development opportunities for persons and organizations engaged in cave rescue activities. All NCRC officers, instructors, and staff are volunteers.

Contacts

For questions regarding course logistics, prerequisites, gear requirements, or registration, email:

[email protected]

This email address is forwarded to all of us, but you may address your message to the appropriate person:

       Seminar Coordinator, Brian Krebs (logistics and general course questions)

       Level 1 lead instructor, Brandon Powers (Level 1 activities, prerequisites, or gear requirements)

       SPAR lead instructor, Ron Miller (SPAR activities, prerequisites, or gear requirements)

       Course Registrar, Cathy Borer (course registration)

Here is a link to the course flyer: NCRCFlyer-TN-2025-03.pdf.

  • Learn skills to function as a team member in a cave rescue.
    Cost: $855 for NSS members and $905 for non-NSS members

  • This is ONLY for course instructors and staff who have been asked to help with this course. If you are not in this group but register using this category, we will cancel your registration!

  • You must be a current NSS member. If you use this option but are not a current NSS member, we will cancel your registration!

  • Note that becoming an NSS member can substantially reduce the course fee, so we recommend you join the NSS before registering for this course. If you are registering as a student but you do not want to join the NSS, select this option.


Personal Information

By checking this box, I agree to take steps to protect myself and fellow participants from communicable diseases (e.g., influenza, Covid-19, etc.). If I display symptoms, test positive, or have other reason to believe I have a communicable disease before the class, I will withdraw with no penalty.

In the event I am exposed to or even contract a communicable disease, I agree to hold harmless the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC), the National Speleological Society (NSS), their respective volunteers, and my fellow participants.

The NCRC highly recommends all participants be fully vaccinated against communicable diseases.


You must sign the NCRC waiver and Circle K site waiver below to complete pre-registration. If you are registered for the course, we will send you any required additional waivers for cave/field sites at a later date. If the terms of any of the additional waivers are unacceptable to you, you may withdraw from the course at that time without penalty.

NCRC Level 1 and Small Party Assisted Rescue Seminar
March-April 2025
Circle K Corral
Sewanee, TN

Release of Liability
Read Before Signing

In consideration of being allowed to participate in any way in the National Cave Rescue Commission (NCRC) and National Speleological Society (NSS) program, related events and activities, the undersigned acknowledges, appreciates and agrees that:

The risk of injury from the activities involved in this program could be significant, including the potential for permanent paralysis or death, and while particular rules, equipment and personal discipline may reduce this risk, the risk of serious injury does exist; and,

I KNOWINGLY AND FREELY ASSUME ALL SUCH RISKS, both known and unknown, EVEN IF ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES or others, and assume full responsibility for my participation; and,

I willingly agree to comply with the stated and customary terms and conditions for participation. If however, I observe any unusual significant hazard during my presence or participation, I will remove myself from participation and bring such to the attention of the nearest official immediately.

I, for myself and on behalf of my heirs, assigns, personal representatives and next of kin, HEREBY RELEASE AND HOLD HARMLESS THE NATIONAL CAVE RESCUE COMMISSION and THE NATIONAL SPELEOLOGICAL SOCIETY, their officers, officials, agents, instructors, and/or employees, other participants, sponsoring agencies, sponsors, advertisers, and, if applicable, owners and lessors of premises used to conduct the event ("Releasees") including but not limited to the Circle K Corral, Sewanee, Tennessee, WITH RESPECT TO ANY AND ALL INJURY, DISABILITY, DEATH, or loss or damage to person or property, WHETHER ARISING FROM THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RELEASEES OR OTHERWISE, including but not limited to work with knots, climbing ropes and associated gear. This release is intended to cover any and all claims associated with any of the activities of NCRC and all its volunteers to the fullest extent permitted by law.

Images of me taken can be used for promotional, educational and commercial purposes.

I am aware of the possibility of injury or death by my participation in the training event beginning on the 29th day of March, 2025 (Level 1 continues through April 5 2025; SPAR continues through April 1, 2025) and with that knowledge I hereby assume the risk or any injury or my death and release any of the parties putting on the events, any of the sponsors, any of the instructors, and fellow participants and any person firm or corporation in any way associated with the event.

The National Cave Rescue Commission is a Commission within the National Speleological Society, Inc—an Alabama not for profit corporation with its principal and only office located in Huntsville, Madison County, Alabama. The undersigned agrees as part of this Release of liability that if any litigation is pursued by the undersigned as a result of any accident that the only forum available is the Circuit Court of Madison County, Alabama and that the law applicable to any such lawsuit is the substantive law of the State of Alabama regardless of where the accident may occur. These requirements are to be separate and several and an integral part of the contract between the parties.

I HAVE READ THIS RELEASE OF LIABILITY AND ASSUMPTIONS OF RISK AGREEMENT, FULLY UNDERSTAND ITS TERMS, UNDERSTAND THAT I HAVE GIVEN UP SUBSTANTIAL RIGHTS BY SIGNING IT, AND SIGN FREELY AND VOLUNTARILY WITHOUT ANY INDUCEMENT.

NCRC Level 1 and Small Party Assisted Rescue Seminar
March-April 2025
Sewanee, TN

RELEASE, HOLD HARMLESS, INDEMNIFICATION, AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF RISK AND HAZARD AGREEMENT

This Release, Hold Harmless, Indemnification, and Acknowledgement of Risk and Hazard Agreement ("Agreement") is entered into by and between the registrant collectively referred to as "Participants"], and Brian Krebs, Allyson Krebs, Jeffrey Krebs and all Owners heirs and assigns or other related parties, Property Manager, or Other Responsible Party, if applicable ("Releasees").

WHEREAS, Participants are voluntarily accessing, visiting, or residing at a location ("Property") which includes certain natural and man-made features such as cliffs, hills, pits, rocks, boulders, slopes, roads, lakes, defined and undefined paths, trails improved or unimproved, fall hazards, building structures, ATV and UTV and where the presence of wildlife, natural hazards, man-made hazards and physical risks may exist;

WHEREAS, Participants understand and acknowledge the inherent risks associated with these features, including but not limited to cliffs, wildlife, bodily injury, and the risk of death;

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the right to enter and/or use the Property, and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the parties agree as follows:

1. Acknowledgement and Assumption of Risks
1.1 Participants acknowledge that the Property may include inherently dangerous conditions, including but not limited to: - Cliffs and Unstable Terrain: Risks associated with steep drop-offs, rockslides, falling rocks, and the possibility of falls. - Wildlife: Risks arising from encounters with animals such as snakes, bears, insects, and other wildlife, plant materiel, trees and other hazards found in the wilderness. - Personal Injury and Death: Risks related to slips, falls, drowning, or other serious bodily harm which may result in severe injury, minor injury, disability temporary or permanent or death.
1.2 Participants voluntarily assume all risks associated with accessing or using the Property, whether such risks are known or unknown, foreseeable or unforeseeable named or unnamed.

2. Release and Hold Harmless
2.1 Participants, on behalf of themselves, their heirs, assigns, and representatives, hereby fully release, discharge, and covenant not to sue Releasees, including their officers, directors, employees, agents, or any affiliated entities, from any and all claims, causes of action, damages, or liabilities of any kind arising out of or in connection with Participants’ access to or activities on the Property, including but not limited to claims for personal injury, property damage, or death, whether caused by negligence or otherwise, except to the extent caused by Releasees' gross negligence or willful misconduct.


3. Indemnification
3.1 Participants agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Releasees from and against any and all claims, damages, liabilities, losses, expenses, including attorney’s fees and court costs, arising out of or in connection with: - (a) Any injury or damage sustained by Participants or others arising from Participants' actions, presence, or activities on the Property. - (b) Any claim made by third parties based on Participants’ conduct or failure to adhere to safety precautions on the Property. - (c) Any claim, damage, or injury resulting from wildlife encounters or natural hazards present on the Property.

4. No Duty of Care by Releasees
4.1 Participants acknowledge and agree that Releasees do not assume any responsibility for, nor have any duty to provide for, the safety or well-being of Participants while on the Property, and that Releasees make no warranties or representations regarding the safety of the Property.

5. Medical Treatment
5.1 Participants acknowledge and agree that, in the event of injury, no medical services or treatments are provided by Releasees, and Participants shall be solely responsible for any medical expenses or other losses incurred.

6. Governing Law
6.1 This Agreement shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict of law principles.

7. Severability
7.1 If any provision of this Agreement is held to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, such provision shall be deemed severed from this Agreement and shall not affect the enforceability of the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect.

8. Binding Effect
8.1 This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Participants and Releasees, and their respective heirs, assigns, successors, representatives, and estates.

9. Entire Agreement
9.1 This Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the parties concerning the subject matter hereof and supersedes any prior agreements, representations, or understandings, whether oral or written, relating to such subject matter.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned have executed this Agreement as of the date first above written.


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When you click on the Submit button below, your card will be verified but not charged (if you entered card information). Be sure to read the Cancellation Policy (see above) before you submit your pre-registration. By completing this pre-registration, you agree that we will automatically process your payment if we select you to attend the course, and you also agree to the terms outlined in the Cancellation Policy.

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