Hey KD8NPB, As a Public Safety Diving Instructor and Underwater Criminal Investigator Instructor for 3 training agencies, and Dive Team Leader for 3 different Departments, I will say this, get as much training as possible (budget permitting). Even after all your guys are certified in the specialty areas that your team decides is necessary, I would put forth the effort to train at least 1 time if not more a month, and mock scenarios will help tremendously. I'm in the unique position because the answer to your question is different for each of the departments I dive for and train. Reason being is the budget (volunteer agencies). Base line training of course being Open Water, Advanced, and Rescue. Specialties that I push for for my guys is Drysuit, Full Face Mask, Navigation, Search and Recovery, Public Safety, Underwater Criminal Investigation, Night or Limited Vis, Drift (if in the area of flood or strong current), and of course drill training and response training. Having the right mind set for Public Safety Diving is a must. Without the understanding that Public Safety Diving is not fun recreational diving, then the training is useless. Some training agencies do have great programs, and then some are tailored to hey look at the certification I just got. As far as the different specialties, most agencies are consistent with the next. All instructors will say take this course or that depending on what they teach. I would check your local area and see what options are available. Then check neighboring departments and see what training they are getting. Getting training that is tailored to your needs is ideal, though there does need to be a base line for all teams. The same applies to FEMA training for the nation. A universal system for all departments is ideal but each department has it's own needs depending on their location. With all that being said, training only really helps if you put it to use. So run the mock scenarios as much as possible. Have a practice mission planned and then throw a wrench into it to see how your team would react. Example: We will run a drowning scenario, then turn it into a trapped diver scenario with the family (fake family) screaming at our guys why are you not helping, to see how our guys react. We let our guys know up front things could change but we don't tell them what it may be. When we set training days for one of our departments, the training is set no matter the weather. Its not like you can tell the person on the other line, sorry its raining we will come back tomorrow. So don't be afraid to get out there and practice. Also don't forget your service support (tenders), having training for them is just as important. They are the direct contact for the divers and command. Hope this helps.
