Need help with starting a team

[NJMedic5317]

Hey guys:

I had a few questions I would like to ask the experienced operators on this board about PSD. The Sheriff's Office I currently work for is wanting to start a Marine/Dive team. Both myself and other Officers have been attempting to put together a proposal for our "white shirts" aka the bosses. The team would be made up of dual role divers for Search and Rescue, Recovery, and Evidence Collection.

What would you consider pertinent information needed on starting the team? I have included the cirriculum vitae on all the Officer's interested, potential SOP, and other information.

As for me, I have been a recreational diver on and off since 2000 and the highest level I have is PADI Rescue diver about to take either the MSD Challenge or the Divemaster Course. Is their anything I would need to look into such as courses, equipment needs, etc.

I hope I can get some info to put into this proposal and I thank you ahead of time for all of your help.

Stay Safe,

Rich

 

[Gary D.]

First off see just how committed the department is and how much $$ they are going to budget for the venture. Also see how much state and dedicated boater money is going to be available. This is an expensive operation.

Be careful using “Rescue” in your name unless you are trained and equipped to do a truly rescue operation. It could come back and legally bite you later. For many years we were just the Sheriff’s Dive Team. When we got trained, the gear standardized and set up in take home department cars then we changed to the Sheriff’s Dive Rescue Team.

How much water do you have? How big of a team do they want to have? How big of a marine division? What does your state allow and require for such operations? Lots of questions…….

Good Luck

 

[NJMedic5317]

As far I know, they already have the boat and funding from both the local, state, and federal funding. As far as what they are planning to do personnel wise, I have no idea. It's good to know about the legal rammifications about the word "rescue".

When it comes to the water ways, we are surrounded by the "lovely" NYC waterways and also the Hackensack River.

 

[BladesRobinson]

Rich,

You are off to a good start by asking questions and doing some research online. Dive Rescue International has a publication that is offered free of charge on "How To Start A Dive Team." You can request a copy of this manual by calling Dive Rescue International at (970) 482-0887.

I wish you and your teammates the best.

Safe diving,

Blades

 

[NJMedic5317]

Blades,

I have been on the DRI site through constant researching. I must say that is completely put together in a very nice package. I have printed it and worked off of it as much as possible. If you are talking about a manual, I will definately be calling as this was only an article. Thanks to the two guys that actually did help me for all the info.

Stay Safe

Rich

 

[PullmanSCUBA]

Money is a big part of this. Dont forget the small aspects like air fills. Will you be buying a air compressor or will you, like our dive team, have a local shop that "sponsors" the team. Now I am assuming here, not always a good thing, but will this be a paid position for the officers or will they be volunteering their time? Consider how often you are going to train and the cost to do so. A little pool time is good to have, is there a facility that you can use or will you need to pay for that? For example we can use the WA State Patrol Academy pool for about $250 for two hours plus $8.00 a head (We are currently looking at other facilities). It all adds up in the end. Knowing if there are places like the local school that are willing to let you borrow their facilites for little to no cost can really impresses the brass.

 

[NJMedic5317]

Pullman:

As of right now, I am just the middle man. It's the actually S.O. to figure out what the deal is money-wise for us. As far as I know, We could potentially get a Dive Shop to sponsor us potentially as the owner is a local PD Sgt. The pool, can be the one University that I trained in. The Aquatics director is a huge pro-LEO guy so I dont see it being a problem. Thanks for the help.

 

[Gary D.]

We get to use the YMCA pool in the Spokane Valley for next to nothing. Our local pool at the KROC Center wants around $500.00 for just a couple of lanes for a couple of hours.

As far as air goes we have SCUBA grade air at 2 fire stations and they will respond with a truck anytime and anywhere we need it.

 

[NJMedic5317]

Blades:

I called up DRI today at work about that manual. No hard copies left but I did get ahold of the online version which I just so happen to prefer anyways. I must say, that it was the most compact and stuffed with information I could have ever thought to imagine. I already printed it out, put it in a binder and started highlighting lol. Thank you for all the help. I will hopefully try to see if I can take one of the DRI classes soon.

Stay Safe

Rich

 

[northpacific]

I am not too familiar to DRI, but I was a commercial diver until becoming a police officer and eventually a PSDiver here in Canada. If this is all information you have looked into then please don't be offended, I am fairly new to these forums and so unaware of what knowledge you already have on the issue.

The only difference in PSD to commercial diving is the badge, both get paid to dive, the rest is in the details. The major issues I have seen from being a commercial diving educator and helping some departments has been the obvious and always taxing; equipment and training. Rescue diving is usually a word left for a fire dept or coast guard, these guys arrive all at the same time with all the needed equipment, within minutes. As for us police, it is difficult to get a full team with gear at a site within a decent time to pull off a rescue. If there is no rescue then what is your use for diving, evidence / body recovery (assisting coroner, investigators, TSB, highways etc.). Up here we continue to wrestle with what we do, ultimately we are investigators that bring our experience and expertise to the underwater environment. Now you are looking at bringing video and photography underwater (more cost).

Some of the tasks you can look at would be underwater explosive recognition and post blast investigation, take for example the winter olympics 2010 in Canada. Would a commercial dive team understand the importance of a zero vis search in a lake for a knife. If they come up and say 'its not there' as opposed to your department members, who would you put more faith in that the knife is in fact not there. If there is a plane crash having video showing engine damage and passenger seating before ripping, cutting and tearing is very valuable. So, along with video and photography equipment comes the next question, no contamination issues or heavy contamination issues. Look at some of the past accidents or recoveries that divers could have been used for and was there any contamination issues, (ie. diesel, av gas, or body decomposition).

With equipment and underwater duties out of the way comes training. How deep, how long, PADI rescue is NOT enough. You will be diving in low/no vis with entanglement and entrapment issues. What training will your supervisor have, Dive Master is NOT ENOUGH. There are several teams with a full training package, maybe it is something that you send only ONE or TWO divers to and then come up with some in house training. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police basic PSD course is 5 weeks, then there are other training courses including surface supply, supervisor and instructor. Rather than re-inventing the wheel you can send divers to other teams for training.

Again, sorry if this is all knowledge you already know.

Smitty