Looking for advice, opinions

[fireplug]

I'm fairly new to diving but have been in the fire service 25+ years. I'm on a volunteer FD that has a river we respond to. Lots of boat recreational, fishing & jet ski traffic in the summer and occassional duck hunters in the fall/winter. I'm trying to wrap my brain around the concept of what kind of training & equipment I would need and how I could benefit my department with scuba diving. Our biggest interaction on the water is usually dragging with hooks for body recovery. Visibility is measured in inches or less. We have pulled up bed springs, shopping carts, outboard motors, tree limbs, etc. Any help or criticism is welcome.

 

[BladesRobinson]

Your desire to help and provide a better service for your community is to be applauded. The work of a public safety diver requires continuing education, a high degree of physical and medica fitness, and a commitment to perfection and you are willing to VOLUNTEER. Way to go!

Additionally, it takes a TEAM and with regrets, this is not something you are going to be able to take on by yourself. Conventional wisdom suggests a six man dive team consisting of a primary diver, a safety diver and a 90% diver. These three divers are supported by a team leader that is well versed in all aspects of public safety diving (with a focus on safety) and has considerable experience. The divers are also supported by a primary tender and a safety tender.

It might be advisable to contact the closest PSD team in your region and ask if you can participate as either a diver or surface support person. They could share a lot of their knowledge and I would bet that they would welcome a good guy with a great attitude.

One thing that you might consider is becoming familiar with SONAR. The downfall of drag hooks is you can disturb evidence, potentially move the body away from the "last seen point," trash any visibility for responding divers and there are other downfalls (but not enough room on the forum).

There are many SONAR systems available and if you could do a good search using technology, you would be much better off than trying to start a one man dive team with limited support. I am certain you know that public safety divers do die and it is not uncommon to loose 2 to 3 per year. The PSD community just had a double fatality in Mexico two weeks ago.

A good "start up" SONAR system is the Humminbird and information can be found online at: Humminbird - Side Imaging Technology
I am certain other forum members might have other ideas too but whatever way you decide to go, I wish you the best.

Stay safe!

Blades Robinson

 

[Gary D.]

Welcome aboard Fireplug.

Listen to what Blades posted. This is not an individual operation. No team, no go and there is no “I” in team. By team I am not referring to what you learned in OW training. It is a team that has been trained as PSD’s and dives together as PSD’s.

“I” have a thing about dragging for recoveries. Not only is it very ineffective with today’s techniques and technologies but I think it is about the most inhumane way to recover someone. Sticking a series of hooks into someone is not treating them with respect. Also it doesn’t set well with family and observers.

Like it was mentioned already, dragging WILL destroy or disturb any evidence that might be there. What a better way to get rid of someone and stand a very little chance of getting convicted. Someone commits a murder and lets the recovery team destroy all the evidence.

Low to zero vis is just the PSD way. If you don’t like bad, real bad vis or none at all then don’t try this.

Is there another team that is close by? It sounds like you are planning a “Recovery” team which is quite different than a “Rescue” team. If that’s the case see about getting an agreement with them to help cover your area. Then you and others could become part of their team for the training and experience. Later on you could break away into your own team but still keep a mutual aid which all the local departments should have already anyway.

Don’t jump into anything and take baby steps in putting this together. DRI and the others will help you all they can. Take advantage of the help they offer.

Good luck

Gary D.