Equipment Question

[Thalassamania]

There are two serious national level training organizations for PSD. Ask your buy who they are and what he thinks of each of them. Then get back to us and watch the flames roar<G>.

 

[BladesRobinson]

I think I am going to like this...........

James, you&#8217;re a funny guy. As a team player, I will bite a bullet, take one for the team, and hit the high points here...

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... He has trained the majority of the instructors that are
teaching at the other facilities in Chicagoland. So I
promise they are getting trained by the best ...
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LET&#8217;S TAKE A LOOK AT CHICAGOLAND TRAINING...

Sergeant Alane M. Stoffregen
Chicago Police Department
22 year veteran

Sergeant Alane Stoffregen, a department scuba diver, was participating in a Marine Unit training exercise when an accident occurred about a mile off Navy Pier.. Sergeant Stoffregen and another officer were conducting deep water dives in Lake Michigan. After surfacing from the dive, Stoffregen lost consciousness before reaching the boat. Officers aided in removing her from the water and transporting her to shore. She was then rushed to the hospital where attempts to revive her were unsuccessful. Sergeant Stoffregen was certified as a master diver and was proficient in open water navigation, underwater first aid and water rescues. Two weeks before her death, she had vacationed in Aruba and got the chance to dive at the wreck of the Antilles. During her 22 year career she had received forty-seven honorable mentions and four complimentary letters from her superiors. She was survived by her mother, a sister and five brothers.
Another officer involved in the training exercise was released from Northwestern Memorial Hospital after being treated for exhaustion for trying to rescue Sergeant Stoffregen.


Firefighter Eugene Blackmon
Chicago Fire Department

Firefighter Eugene Blackmon was a diver on Chicago Fire Department's elite Squad 5. His license plate read "ILSAVU." Firefighter Blackmon was killed while on a mission to recover the bodies of two civilians.
Firefighter Blackmon and his SCUBA partner, both fully equipped with diving gear and a rope, entered the water to assist the fire department&#8217;s Air and Sea Rescue divers, who were already diving. Firefighter Blackmon and his partner entered the river at the location where the two civilians were reported to have gone down to perform an independent sweep search pattern. The search lasted approximately 10 to 15 minutes at an approximate depth of 25 to 30 feet. Due to zero visibility and the underwater current, Firefighter Blackmon and his partner decided to surface and return to the staging area where they changed over to their underwater communication masks and received further instructions from the dive supervisor.
Once they returned to the staging area, the dive tender (back-up diver) changed their tanks, assisted with the removal of their gear, provided Gatorade to drink, and placed a 50 foot long, 4-inch round air float (rubber-jacketed fire hose) from shore to the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter that had just arrived. After a brief conversation with the dive supervisor, the divers decided to remove their SCUBA gear and free float to the Coast Guard cutter using the 4-inch float as a guide and flotation device, determining this would be the easiest way to enter the boat since it did not have a swim platform. Wearing his weight belt, Firefighter Blackmon began his free float to the boat, holding on to his Buoyancy Control Device (BCD), tank, and the 4-inch air float as flotation devices. The weight belt consisted of three 10-pound lead weights secured around his waist. As Firefighter Blackmon was approaching the boat he lost grip of the flotation devices and instantly went under the water due to the 30-pound weight belt that he did not release. Blackmon&#8217;s partner immediately went down after him, free diving with just his wet suit which created a buoyancy problem and limited his dive depth. After two attempts to reach Blackmon, he surfaced and called for assistance from the Air and Sea Rescue divers. One diver from the Air and Sea Rescue team descended to the area where Firefighter Blackmon went down and located him. As Blackmon was pulled close to the water surface, his dive partner grabbed him. The Air and Sea diver lost his grip on Firefighter Blackmon while adjusting his own equipment, and because of the 30-pound weight belt around the Blackmon&#8217;s waist, the dive partner was unable to hold on to him, and he descended for a second time. Firefighter Blackmon was located and pulled from the water approximately 10 to 15 minutes later. Resuscitation efforts were not successful.


Firefighter Michael "Micky" Drobitsch
Chicago Fire Department
17 year veteran

Firefighter Michael "Micky" Drobitsch was a firefighter and an experienced member of the Chicago Fire Department's elite Air-Sea Rescue Unit. He died after a routine scuba training exercise in Lake Michigan about 25 feet off Meigs Field.
Firefighter Drobitsch was seen by his partner moving rapidly to the surface. The dive buddy followed Drobitsch to the surface where Drobitsch removed his mask. Other firefighters brought the victim to shore and administered CPR. At that time, the victim did not have a pulse and was not breathing. Paramedics were subsequently called and administered advanced life-saving techniques before transporting the victim to the hospital. Less than an hour later he was pronounced dead in a press release by the department public information officer. Firefighter Drobitsch&#8217;s dive buddy was also admitted to the hospital as a precaution.


Three PSD fatalities in one community in less than ten years. A record!

Mike, I know you are trying to do the best thing for the public safety divers in your region and I commend you for reaching out to the PSD community for advise. As you know, good equipment and good training are two components needed for a successful dive team. When three PSD fatalities take place in one city, it is time to review the training and make some positive changes.

My PADI OWSI number is 21263 so I have been around for a while. From my experience working as a senior manager at a dive shop (since 1979), teaching SCUBA for more than 20 years, and working as a career firefighter (coordinating an active Public Safety Dive team that at one time had more than 70 members) I can speak with experience.

Recreational diving is NOT Public Safety Diving and just because an individual holds the title of PADI Course Director, that does not instantly qualify him to teach Public Safety Divers. In the past ten years, 10 public safety divers have been killed in the "training mode" and five of these fatalities happened under the DIRECT supervision of recreational SCUBA instructors. You are in a prime position to make a huge impact in your region if you opt to follow a recommendation.

Use the PADI programs as FOUNDATION and build good SCUBA skills. Then top that training off with good PSD specific training using a recognized program from DRI, ERDI, IANTD, LGS or PSDA (in alphabetical order). I am biased towards one so I won't recommend one agency over another. If your Course Director can not attend an instructor cross-over with one of these agencies, consider contracting with one of the training agencies to teach through your store. A QUALIFIED instructor with CONSIDERABLE experience can show up at your shop, teach your students and leave. You continue to make equipment sales and the PSD teams in your region recognize your commitment to their safety because you have gone above and beyond what other stores have done.

If you plan to attend DEMA, the training agencies previously mentioned can guide you towards a partnership that will be good for you, good for your local PSD teams and most importantly, good for all citizens who live in your region.

Safe diving,

Blades Robinson

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

I agree with the changes and to be honest its sad sometimes when I see these FDs with equipment over 17 years old....Have you ever used plumbing supplies to build a contraption to check your air tanks?? Some of these guys do.....We are trying to get the equipment and training up to where it needs to be so they can safely operate and perform. Yes things can and do happen when people make mistakes, its repitition and practice that helps to limit these horrible accidents. Also, some of the stores here have supplied these guys, that go to them for help, with normal recreational equipment which is a joke. As confirmed by a PM with MTDiver, who knows my instructor, I think we are the shop thats trying to do our part to ensure, as much as possible, that my local dive teams are adequetly trained and have the proper equipment to get them in and out of the water safely........Yes I will be at DEMA bein hounded by everyone because of my Buyers badge........And I too am glad that Im on here because I want to learn from everyone....I think everyone on here can offer some insight......

 

[BladesRobinson]

You also asked about equipment...

• Our team uses Viking Dry Suits. I highly recommend them becasue they can be decontaminated and they are durable.
• We use Interspiro AGA masks, positive pressure with GILL valves installed in the lenses.
• We use hard wired OTS communications for a majority of our dives and can use OTS wireless comms when needed. I recommend teams start with the hard wired system.
• For the same reasons BRIDGEDIVER stated, we use SeaQuest BCs, Aqua Lung Legend regulators (environmentally sealed), and Suunto COBRA computers which clock the diver every 20 seconds in the water column and can be downloaded to document callouts and training. Aqua Lung, SeaQuest and Suunto have discounted programs for PSD teams so they can save considerable $$$s.

I would also strongly suggest chest harnesses with quick release snap shackles <grin> and some earlier posts on this forum can explain why. Others may not agree but I am trying to change their minds.

Safe diving,

Blades Robinson

 

[Dive Right In Scuba]

Thank you for your insight....Those stories you posted I have read about numerous times and are very sad Thank you for your insight with the gear....Hope to take more info from you guys as time goes on

 

[RecInstr]

The team I trained/train with (local LEA - Sheriff's Dept) uses Zeagle Tech BCD's, USD Arctic Regs with ScubaPro AIR II for alternates, OS Systems SAR for Drysuits, and ScubaPro Steel 95's. They also have 4 M/K EXO-26's. COMM gear is on order for these. FIns & Masks are USD - Black only. Couple of U/W metal detectors and some commercial lift bags.

Since we are in N. Ga., all we have are local lakes, ponds, creesk, etc., so nothing deep - tons of other dangers though!

We train at least once a month - Find the dept. store manakin (body simulation), raise a car we staged in a local lake, find a gun & preserve for evidence, etc.
Recently started doing Scene Mgt. scenarios with local FD and EMS.

Lots of good info here - I look forward to learning more!

Tommy D.