Very good post.
Now for CanalDiver - I'm sorry you are afraid of fire. It just so happens that the City of Seaside in California, the Army National Guard Camp Roberts in San Luis Obispo California and the Ontario International airport in California all use Safety Officers, which is a fancy name for Firefighter/Policeman. The guys are cross trained and work both jobs on a rotating basis or sometimes based on location to the call.
Blades, you don't know what a "lock down" is? I think you guys are to far removed from the rest of the Judicial system.
Anyway, back on topic. Gary was right on because there are always drawings from the construction of a plant so the number of valves should not have been a supprise. Four feet of water is not that big a deal and probably could have been done by water department personnel wearing waders. Calling the fire department to do it was the most expedient means, but probably not the smartest choice. I don't see it as a money saving decision, I think the managers that made the call were under the impression that it was a serious, iminant "public safety" emergency and that the PSD team sould do the job. Very few drinking water emergencies are immedeately life threatening. The decision makers during this incedent were lucky that all the PSD guys went home afterward. Incedents like this are never re-evaluated and discussed by the players involved until someone goes home in a box. Then it's just too late.
But, like said previously, it is the divers call. More training on the definition of PSD under the OSHA exception is probably the only way to help mitigate the guy who gets the call, is all ampped up and want to make a dive.
"Diver on bottom"
Mudd out.