And off we went again

[Gary D.]

Graveyard shift is sitting in the briefing room doing our round table at the end of briefing. We still haven’t checked out our Taser’s and spikes when the Swing Shift Sgt. pokes his head in and says Dive Team get going your going to be paged to Blackwell Island.

It just so happens we have 3 divers on this shift. So we hit the cars and leapfrog the 4 or so miles to the boat ramp at Blackwell Island.

While we are in route the pager goes off and reads; “FULL DIVE CALLOUT, BLACKWELL ISLAND LAUNCH, FEM SWAM OUT 45 AGO 10:21PM”.

We get on scene and start suiting up while the City PD does the investigation and gets us briefed on what was going on.

Seems that there was a domestic dispute at the boat ramp while a family as loading their boat. So the female decides to swim across the river and takes off into the darkness.

I’m suited and ready to go when one of the FNG’s shows up all decked out for a swim. So between us guess who is getting wet? Along with being the safety diver I’m tending the FNG who is doing an ok job. Actually he did real well for his first actual operational dive. He only has like #6 or 7 total dives under his belt and this one was perfect to cut his teeth on. Shallow, 15-20’ of vis., warm and at the end of a rope.

It didn’t take us long to clear the area and just as we were finishing up with that section we got a report that a female matching her description just showed up at one of the down town bars. After getting a confirmation we pulled the divers, got back into uniform, debriefed and went back on patrol.

It was a good happy ending for everyone, but my car is starting to smell like the bottom of an aquarium.

We need to do this at the end of shift not at the start.

Gary D.

 

[ReefGuy]

Gary, how does the shift work when you have so many divers from one squad? One of our day shifts has two divers on it, and its a coin toss if we get both for a callout when they're on duty.

 

[Gary D.]

We were fat last night with a Sgt. and 5 deputies on. Normally there are just 3 deputies on but last night we picked up a new guy fresh out of training which helped.

If we have a recovery it can, for the most part wait until we get a response team together. But if we have a rescue or are in rescue mode we automatically respond while the rest of the team is paged out.

As far as calls go the cold calls can wait until we have units available. Emergency calls can be handled by who ever is left or by one of the other agencies. We don’t bicker about turf. When the flies hit the Westinghouse we all come together.

Last night I was in my suit standing next to my gear tending one of our very green FNG’s. Standing next to me was a new Fireman/Medic learning how to handle the rope and tend a diver. Did he fell belittled or useless? Not at all, I wish everyone asked as many questions as he did about what we were doing and why.

When it was over everyone from every department there jumped in to pack gear and stuff ropes. You just couldn’t ask for better cooperation.

Then it was right back into uniform, debrief at the scene and start handling calls as usual. We were only off the streets a little over an hour.

IF you do rescues there should be no coin tossing to see who goes, you go. If you do recoveries that’s another story. Do you guy's keep your gear with you? Ours is with us ready to go 24-7.

I’m not sure but I think we had 9 divers there last night. Three within a couple of minutes and the rest a short time later.

A good smooth operation. We are just glad that she made it across.

Gary D.

 

[Ber Rabbit]

Seems that there was a domestic dispute at the boat ramp while a family as loading their boat. So the female decides to swim across the river and takes off into the darkness.

Glad everything worked out. Boat ramps should have either a marriage counselor or an independent trailer backing/boat loading team on duty during peak hours Wonder how many divorces start at the boat ramp?
Ber :lilbunny:

 

[Gary D.]

Wonder how many divorces start at the boat ramp?
Ber :lilbunny:

About as many as $10,000 video's at boat ramps that go unclaimed. If someone got going on it there could be an Oscar winning full-length feature film on boat ramp antics. Something like: America’s funniest loading/launching family feud movie.

Or something like: Adding a boat to sanity causes insanity. Or: Einstein gets a boat, turns into gibbering idiot in one easy lesson.

Gary D.

PS: I'm still betting on one more drowning before the weekend is over. Hope not.

It was just in the paper that Idaho is #4 in the nation for children drownings. Not a stat to be proud of.