Question - Emergency First Aid and Evacuation Plans?

[lobbolt]

Hello ScubaBoard!

I have a question for the divers who read this post. Do you and your dive buddy have a rehearsed plan for emergencies (first aid), evacuation to medical treatment, for the site(?) that you plan to dive?

The plan should include first aid procedures and emergencies such as the following but not limited to:

Lost diver search procedures.
Exiting Procedures (a rocky shoreline vs. a boat vs. a beach).
Injuries and first aid (carrying first aid equipment, medical oxygen)
Transportation to Medical Treatment.

For example, you plan to dive a particular site, do you have a plan in place in case you do have a dive emergency at that particular site (which must include the route to the nearest re-compression hospital with a vehicle and driver).

Count only non-chartered dives!

Thanks for the input!

---------- Post added April 26th, 2012 at 03:38 AM ----------

I voted first for this poll.

On my most recent diving, my buddy and I had done no planning for emergencies and first aid on top of what we learned for our certification.

My goal is that for the next dives I (we) do, we will have a detailed, completely rehearsed (even with a backup driver) emergency plan in place.

 

[fdog]

I (we?) do not have any pre-packaged plan. My "real" job is in emergency services, so, having an emergency on a dive would be just another day at work, so to speak.

We always have oxygen and airways. Not much in the way of medical equipment, 90% of that you can improvise.

Lost buddy procedures... we all learned them from the same agencies, so that's a moot issue too, as far as a formal pre-plan.

Sorry to be not much help, but <shrugs> that's how it is.


All the best, James

 

[turnerjd]

Since I became a DM my logbook looks like a battlefield. There are almost as many pages of other 'crap' as pages of actual dives. These include detailed dive site plans, accommodation details, trip budgets, and..... Emergency plans. I have a standard page with all the local chamber numbers as well as Dan Europe and a few other useful things.

Emergency plans generally cover site specific details. Is there O2 there? Is there first aid stuff? Doctors? Access details and exact location for emergency services. This also helps planning a weekends diving, for example taking the club O2 set.

Then I also have on the back cover of my log book a generic DAN guide to DCI, and a incident management sheet for the what it.... And for noting all actions taken.

Simple really

Jon

 

[Scuba_Noob]

The plan should include first aid procedures and emergencies such as the following but not limited to:

Lost diver search procedures.
Exiting Procedures (a rocky shoreline vs. a boat vs. a beach).
Injuries and first aid (carrying first aid equipment, medical oxygen)
Transportation to Medical Treatment.

For new buddies, I always go over lost diver search procedures and exiting procedures. With buddies with whom I often dive, I have already gone through these procedures (so they already know) and may go through them if the visibility is extremely shoddy or the surf/current/weather is not so good.

However, I rarely go through the first aid or injuries (other than the fact that some of my dive buddies have oxygen). I have the knowledge from my rescue diver and EFR course to deal with the first aid or injuries, and I know the location of the closest medical facilities (as well as phones, etc.). My usual dive buddies also have this knowledge. Thus, I chose 'unrehearsed mental emergency plan'.

It would be better if we had more preparation, but in addition to the complete dive plan, it would take a significant amount of time. On charters or new dive sites, I would likely go through these procedures, though.

 

[TMHeimer]

Can't vote. As newbie OW divers my buddy and I did not have any plan. We dived shallow shore dives. He got out of diving (may get back in, I hope), so I'm left diving solo most of the time. My plan is phone my wife after each of my 2 daily shore dives. When you live far from everywhere you have little choice.

 

[Bob DBF]

I had to vote for unrehearsed because only parts of it are rehearsed. Along the north coast of Cal where we dive there are many places where having a plan looks good but executing it can take the rest of the day which is not conducive to a positive outcome.

My plan is phone my wife after each of my 2 daily shore dives. When you live far from everywhere you have little choice.

It's not too far out, the last place I dove is one to one and a half hours from cell service and 30+ or - minutes from a landline, you may have to bust a door to get at it, and I was solo. Sometimes my wife dosen't like my diving.




Bob
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I may be old, but I&#8217;m not dead yet.

 

[DivemasterDennis]

My wife and I often dive on our own. We have gone over our in water plan many times. It starts with staying in close proximity to your buddy, and diving the safe profile planned, with properly serviced equipment in good working order. Before diving we always do the following as well:
1. Have a shore person nearby with a phone and local emergency numbers
2. Use a dive flag
3. Have an extensive emergency first aid kit with our shore guy or at our shore "headquarters" if closer
4. Have location of nearest medical facility and chamber
5. Have our DAN insurance cards and DAN contact numbers with the phone with the shore guy
6. Have health insurance info and cards with the shore guy.
The process has become routine, though it wasn't always. Having these things in place make diving less stressful, and therefore, more fun.
DivemasterDennis

 

[fjpatrum]

You don't have an option for "discuss options with insta-buddy" so I didn't vote. I'd say I try to have a thorough discussion with insta-buddies about emergency things but my discussion is evolving as I dive more with more people. It's getting more comprehensive as I go...

 

[KD8NPB]

Related question : Will the USCG do off-airport helo landings?

I was thinking, maybe a 4-lane intersection or large parking lot not near the shore... I know I wouldn't want any sand getting sucked into the turbines, so a near-beach landing is out.

I'm trying to plan for a "worst-comes-to-worst" badly bent diver scenario.

 

[MRadke]

In most all of these cases your cell phone or a marine radio, along with a good sense of exactly where you are, will be all you need for evacuation of a victim. At least in the states, 911 dispatch will send ems and/or fire, and they will co-ordinate the landing of medivac choppers if needed. Having the number for DAN handy for the EMTs would be a bonus, since I wouldn't always bank on them having it.