WATERVILLE — A self-defense course for women will be held 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday, March 9, and Sunday, March 10, at the fire department.

The Rape Aggression Defense System is a comprehensive course that starts with awareness training, prevention, risk reduction and risk avoidance and progresses to the basics of hands-on defense training.

The 12-hour course is taught by Waterville police Sgt. Jennifer Weaver and police Officer Galen Estes, as well as Meg Hatch, advocate for Sexual Assault Crisis & Support Center, based in Winthrop.

Weaver, Estes and Hatch are certified R.A.D. instructors and will provide each student with a workbook/reference manual which outlines the program for future reference.

Those who complete the course may use the manual to re-take it, free-of-charge, over the course of a lifetime. Instructors note that R.A.D. is not a martial arts program.

The class is available to females 12 and older. The fee is $25.

For more information, call Weaver at 680-4700 or email [email protected].