Essential training for Public Safety?

Yes, same with the agency I trained with. Trim and buoyancy are what you do to and from your way to work. (Their joke, not mine.) Overstated, but rather accurate. I would really encourage any recreational diver to take a real PSD course as a 'paying extra', it greatly increases one's sense of being in control if you ever find youself in a difficult situation.

 

ffdiver...it's not me! so no offense taken. I do not work for ERDI or any dive shop. I know they train Miami-Dade FR because I work with MDFR frequently.

 

Richard,
Shoot me a PM if you want to talk about HAZMAT. I honestly could not say off the top of my head if HAZWOPR is required for your decon guys but I can find out for you (I am leaning towards the YES side). As someone who was on the command staff of a federal HAZMAT team for almost 8 years, I can state without reservation that DECON is something you do not want to do half a**ed. If your diving in water that would require it, then make sure the personnel you have on your team are trained and documented. Not only do you have to deal with issues such as disposal of any HAZWASTE, but if you do not properly clean off the people that have been exposed you now risk endangering the diver, the decon personel, and even people they come in contact with in the near future such as family members.

V/R
Myles TenBroeck

 

I agree with the others. Stay away from the recreational agencies when you move to PSD (ie PADI). However, you do need to have a good foundation with scuba skills so any of those specialty courses help
The big guys for PSD training are:
LGS
DRI
ERDI
Anything else is not preparing the guys enough for PSD work.

- note that ERDI is not the main/most popular agency in NY either

 

a lot of good stuff here, so I am not preaching we do it right... and am totally free to hear what could be changed... so here it goes

Our Agency is all volunteer with some compensation for training from our Sheriff office. We, meaning the dive team for Bingham County came up with our own safety standards you must meet to dive for our team. Mostly we adopted what we thought was good ideas from other dive teams and agencies and adapted that to our local diving. What agency you choose for open water doesn't matter, as long as its a recognized agency.... (there is more difference instructor to instructor than agency to agency) IMHO... We use SSI mostly because we have 2 instructors and a divecon on our team. but not prejudice at all We do require they are:

1. Open water certified
2. gain AOW Cert. 4 specialties and 24 dives. this is more to gain comfort and confidence in the water than it does qualify them for PSD work
3. on top of AOW take the Rescue diver course from a recognized agency.
These make them divers and not some random guy/gal (we have some bad a$$ female PSD divers) packin a c card. also prepares them for our further requirments.

4. they must gain 50 dives total, 30 of which must be with the dive team. we try to train every wed. somewere when conditions allow which makes this a realistic goal.

5. Our team is Dive Rescue International level one divers min. so they must get that training when the sheriff office makes it possible (every couple years) we have brought them in house.

We have multiple mandatory trainings every year
1. In the spring every team member is required to pass the IADRS watermanship test
2. Every member is required to be to atleast 2 river trainings (most our calls have been in the snake river)
3. every Fall we do an in house Stress inoculation course ( entanglement, equipment failures, in blackout masks) we try to make it as realistic as possible without putting anyone at mimum risk
4. Every winter we do 2 in house Ice Dive trainings. any diver wishing to venture below the waters skull must attend one of these courses... Also If a diver wishes to use a Dry Suit, we require that specialty also.

Our SAR secretary keeps every ones training records and photos of cert cards on file I assume its a CYA for evidence they did show proof of actual training and experience

again its only what our team set as minimum standards and it has been several years in the making to get it all put in place and money to conduct these trainings. It is very expensive for both monetarily and our free time, but we believe it helps keep out team with quality divers that can conduct an operation safely and efficiently.
my 2 cents..

 

Desert_Pirate, training from someplace like ERDI will take your team to the next level. Take a look at the ERDI Contaminated Water course for example...

 

if they do DRI 1 then they are similar to ERDI

 

Members on our team have to do OW, AOW, rescue at a min. Also dry suit and full face mask as that is what we use for biological protection during recovery operations.
Then monthly training from some members that have gone to more advanced classes and bring back and share what they have learned.