FFAST resources and training are designed for the specific needs of fishermen and the unique conditions they can encounter at sea.

Upcoming Training TBA

What: FASST trainings typically include two full days of interactive safety training. There is a combination of lectures in the classroom and hands-on scenario training on vessels. 

When: dates TBA

Where: Newport, Astoria, and potentially Coos Bay areas

Registration Contact Angee Doerr, 541-648-6816 for classes in the Newport area. Contact Amanda Gladics, 503-325-8573 for classes in the Astoria area.

*Accommodation requests for a disability can be made when you register.

FFAST Course Description:

The Fishermen First Aid and Safety Training (FFAST) course a two-day intensive first aid course. It is built around the principles of wilderness first aid to help commercial fishermen prevent and treat injuries they are likely to encounter at sea.

The course meets U.S. Coast Guard requirements for onboard first aid training and complements a U.S. Coast Guard required training commonly known as the “Drill Conductor Course,” where fishermen learn how to conduct safety drills regularly to prepare the crew for emergencies.

The course takes 16 hours and includes basic CPR. The training takes into account the small crews, common injuries, vessel environments, cold water, rough seas and delayed emergency response times typical to Pacific Northwest fisheries.

To pass the course, students must demonstrate basic skill and scenario proficiency and pass a final exam with a minimum score of 70 percent.

The FFAST course was created by a team from Oregon State University's Occupational Safety and Health Laboratory and Oregon Sea Grant. For additional resources, visit the Fishermen Led Injury Prevention Program or FLIPP in the College of Public Health and Human Services.

FFAST training includes:

  • How to respond to common fishery injuries and illnesses ranging from minor issues like seasickness or chapped hands to life-threatening injuries such as crush injuries or hypothermia
  • Hands-on first aid skills
  • Simulated accident or illness scenarios to practice your new first aid knowledge and skills.
  • CPR
  • One day in class instruction and one day practice on a boat

Oregon Sea Grant's Angee Doerr and Oregon State University's Kevin Buch simulate injuries on a fishing boat during a first-aid training for fishermen. Jason Jones, Charles Cromer and Kien Jones treated them using knowledge they gained in the class. (video clip by Tiffany Woods)