public safety class, teams? training?

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Most PSD courses require that you be associated with a team, so finding and getting in contact with a local team (usually independent [Columbia River Dive Rescue] or associated with the local police [Port of Seattle PD], fire, or rescue squad) is the second thing you want to do.

The first is taking a long hard look at what a PSD is/does and, once you understand all that entails, asking yourself "Is this for me?"
There is little glory in saying it is and absolutely no shame in finding it is not.

You're right, the teams are fun; the good ones are a family. You simply cannot do the type of dives public safety diving requires without a support group with whom you trust your life.
The dives are zero vis, high entanglement, (generally) tethered solo dives with the very real chance of coming face to face with a cadaver. We have strong teams so we can safely and routinely do those dives, and so we can deal with the aftermath of those dives. Nobody expects or pretends recoveries are fun, but they can be deeply rewarding.

They can also be haunting. Read over the posts in this forum.... there are very few former PSDs who still dive. If you're making your living as a diver, you don't want to worry about seeing a face in your mind every time you hit the water.

From your profile and posts, you're a young, relatively inexperienced diver. While not necessarily a bad thing (I moved into Public Safety Diving from EMS as a young, inexperienced diver before earning my current status as a slightly less young, slightly less inexperienced diver), make sure you realize what you're getting into, how much work it's going to take, and to listen to the more experienced divers on the team. It is rewarding... but it's constant training for infrequent, emotionally taxing calls.

So, read the forums, read Teather's Encyclopedia of Underwater Investigations, take a long look in the mirror.... then start making phone calls.
 
Muddysquirrel did a good job above.

Seattle and the surrounding areas are going to be a hard market to break into. It’s not a macho thing but a survival thing and the Fire and LEO organizations have a very strong foothold in the PSD market. For the most part they have good equipment, good training, good organization and stay busy.

One word of caution. Don’t spend a chunk of time and money getting certified as a PADI PSD and think you will be marketable. It just might very well be a lightening of the wallet and lots of time lost.

One question I have is your profile lists you as a Commercial Diver. I’m curious on how you did that with less than 50 logged dives. Or are you a recreational diver that does commercial work? I went to your web site and really didn't see much commercial stuff there outside of what recreational divers can do. Now be real with everyone including yourself, are you really a diver trained by a commercial dive school or a recreational diver who does commercial work?

Good luck in your venture
 
MuddySquirrel is a friend, and has earned a place in a lineup where actions mean more than words. I have watched him evolve from a rec diver to a teammate. There is no instant psd program where you are suddenly fully operational... your teammates learn to trust you and you them over time. We achieve some amazing things, and we do it as a team. Be willing to constantly learn as a PSD while maintaining your foundational skills, and to grow with your team. You are as effective as the person next to you, and the person holding your line.

Adding to what our friendly rodent said, when you look at yourself look at your heart. Be willing to give of yourself for something greater. We all have different personal reasons, from general empathy and a desire to help to religious views and beliefs. Have the right reasons for yourself, know who you are and how you hope to add value, or you'll find yourself handing back your pager/ radio after your first callout.



* Do not listen to MuddySquirrel on ANYTHING related to the color selection of your wing. (Right Pinky?) :wink:
 
Muddysquirrel did a good job above.

Seattle and the surrounding areas are going to be a hard market to break into. It’s not a macho thing but a survival thing and the Fire and LEO organizations have a very strong foothold in the PSD market. For the most part they have good equipment, good training, good organization and stay busy.

One word of caution. Don’t spend a chunk of time and money getting certified as a PADI PSD and think you will be marketable. It just might very well be a lightening of the wallet and lots of time lost.

One question I have is your profile lists you as a Commercial Diver. I’m curious on how you did that with less than 50 logged dives. Or are you a recreational diver that does commercial work? I went to your web site and really didn't see much commercial stuff there outside of what recreational divers can do. Now be real with everyone including yourself, are you really a diver trained by a commercial dive school or a recreational diver who does commercial work?

Good luck in your venture

It is the same thing. I do commercial inspections do some constrction underwater and manaage other commercisly certifiEd workers!!!!!
 
It is the same thing. I do commercial inspections do some constrction underwater and manaage other commercisly certifiEd workers!!!!!

"a diver trained by a commercial dive school or a recreational diver who does commercial work?" So you are saying these are the same thing?:idk:

PADI and a tool box don't equal commercial diver.
 
PSDiving is not for everyone. I think that it has been said in the above posts. Also, most teams are very hard to get on. You either have to be employed by the fire department or police department. Team just do not allow divers to walk on. Seeking out extra training is a great thing. But do not put yourself in a position that you are not trained in dealing with. Recreational divers should not dive OUTSIDE their training and skill level. A recreational diver who is doing "commercial diving work" does not make the diver a commercial diver. Just a diver that is doing things that could get him hurt.
 
im saying because im a diver doing commercial work, im a commercial diver! I'm insured as a commercial diver and recognized as a commercial diver.

I'm not saying because i carry my tool box down the dock that im a commercial diver trained by padi..... I'm saying because I work as a commercial diver, employ commercial divers, and am insured as a commercial diver and my business offers commercial diving, that im a commercial diver... You dont have to be trained as a commercial diver to be one. If I hire a surface tender or another diver, then I'm legally doing commercial diving work. I also know that PADI didnt teach me much about what I use everyday when I dive commercially, I use my knowledge from all the work I have done! Schooling doesn't teach u as much as actually doing the work with a mentor or teacher right their

but the point of this thread wasnt for me to argue this, it was to find out how to become a PSD?
 
im saying because im a diver doing commercial work, im a commercial diver! I'm insured as a commercial diver and recognized as a commercial diver.

Not to battle the point but is that actually legal down there? Up here, to be a commercial diver (and a PSD) you must be trained as such - it doesn't matter if you're collecting golf balls or surveying a dam. I thought that commercial diving down there had standards (is it OHSA?) and I'd assume that as part of those standards they would include proof of competency/training?
I realize that theres no manditory standards for PSD down there, which is a problem; anybody can throw up a shingle and say that they are a PSD team. I didn't think the same was true about commercial diving(?)

There's a couple of commercial guys that drop in here from time to time so I'd imagine they'd know for sure - mudiver?


About the PSD question itself, I think a lot of guys on here will be cautious about you because it appears that you may be cutting corners doing "commercial diving" (whatever that is for you) and that may lead them to think that you'd look to cut corners for PSD. I think thats why Gary is asking... but I could be wrong. Maybe things are different down there.
Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt, thats all
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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