DEFRAPASS

IPSQA® DefraPass™

Welcome to IPSQA DefraPass—where international excellence in flood and water rescue certification meets cutting-edge quality assurance. The DEFRA Flood Rescue Concept of Operations, first introduced in 2006, set a transformative benchmark for flood response across England and has influenced flood rescue planning worldwide. Over nearly two decades, this framework has greatly enhanced national flood rescue capability and served as a model for other countries.

Despite its lasting impact, experience has shown that implementation could be refined to address critical gaps. Notably, while the DEFRA Concept defines curricula for rescue operators, it lacks an independent certifying body. Training requirements are often open to interpretation, resulting in variable standards and inconsistent certification reliability across agencies.

IPSQA presents the DefraPass system—an independent, globally recognised assessment ecosystem. DefraPass features a codified curriculum that ensures precise, consistent evaluation, with assessments performed exclusively by verified subject matter experts. Regardless of where training occurs, professionals assessed through DefraPass receive a secure record of achievement, QR-verifiable in real time. This system allows rapid validation of personnel competency—vital for staged and deployed rescue assets—while protecting assessment integrity from political or personal bias.

As IPSQA serves exclusively as a certification body, it does not influence or interfere with how organisations conduct their training. Whether agencies deliver training internally or partner with external providers, the IPSQA certification process ensures that every assessment outcome is universally recorded and quality assured, regardless of where or how training took place. Assessment evidence and candidate achievement is stored on a secure centralised cloud database, that makes assessment adminsitration a breeze. This approach gives organisations maximum flexibility in managing training while guaranteeing independent, consistent, and reliable certification for all candidates.

Beyond flood and water rescue, DefraPass supports qualifications in first aid, driving, boat operations, rope rescue, and helicopter rescue to name a few, all recorded on the IPSQA global transcript. This comprehensive framework enables accredited testing centers and assessors to expand internationally, taking DEFRA-aligned certification and operator levels to a global audience. IPSQA DefraPass empowers centers to broaden their offerings, creating new opportunities for business and professional advancement.

What are you waiting for? Join the revolution in public safety certification. IPSQA: Certification you can trust with your life.