Real learning in the water and in life

[Jared0425]

It's a mix both good and bad. Most PSD teams are first responders that definetly lack the skills to do thorough work or true investigations while some are volunteers that are true experts in the realm of PSD. We have paramedics, police, firefighters comprised on our team but all are sworn sheriff deputies. Some have been through PSO training while others have not, and our team is highly skilled at what we do. While some local police and fire departments should have failed their OW dives. So the answer to your question is "sometimes".

 

[Resqdivemedic]

I think most PSD Teams are not "dabbling" in diving but are look at it as an expanded role. With a proper initial training program and frequent drills most FD based teams can be just as good and just as safe as full time teams. As an example, our team consists of members from our towns fire, EMS, police departments. All technician level divers must be certified as a public safety diver from a recognized organization (Dive Rescue International, PADI, etc.). Members must maintain their certification as specified by the certifying agency. They also need to attend a minimum of 75% of the annual training, which we train every month. They must also complete the PSD swim test and basic scuba review annually. Our team is considered one of the best in our state and we have proven that repeatedly. Our team also provides swiftwater rescue, surface water rescue, and surface ice rescue services as well. All of the team members want to be part of the team and follow all our training guidelines. As far as weaknesses in training, I think that just like recreational diving (just using as an example), if you do not use a skill you become less efficient at it. Frequent training allows us to hone,develop, and retain skills. If teams don't do this they become less efficient but also less safe and that is where the problem lies. I had this experience at a call last summer for a drowning incident. A team from another department arrived, they approached the area to search without a plan or the proper equipment. When I arrived with my team, incident command immediately put us in charge of dive ops. We developed a plan and executed it and recovered the victim in less than 2 minutes. I found out later that the other team had not done any training in the year following their initial certification. It showed.

 

[rkinder]

I am curious about the composition of public safety dive teams. I am a firefighter/engineer and critical care paramedic that is considering participating more with our fire department's dive team (as an OW diver who is working on upping certs now). That team is comprised mostly of highly experienced public safety and technical divers who are NOT first responders in any other sense. They are mostly dive team only. As a result, all of their training time is spent on diving. They are pretty darn good at their jobs.

I spend a huge amount of my training time on emergency medicine, and a much smaller portion of time on firefighting. That reflects the reality that these organizations we work for aren't fire departments, they're EMS departments that occasionally put out fires and perform rescues (i.e., 85% of calls for service are medical).

So when you talk about the weaknesses of training for PSD, I read between the lines that many other dive teams are comprised mostly of first responders who are "dabbling" in diving. Is that the case?

The post is PSD specific however, can be applied to every area of our profession. There is a saying you just don't know what you don't know. To me this has always reflected in my life as I have progressed in truly learning the skills after the class. It sounds like your team has made a commitment to treat PSD with the respect it deserves. That being said you also must keep in mind that it will take a long time to perfect the skills many of your teammates have already learned there is no easy path. I feel your pain from the medical side I was a Paramedic for 30 years, with constant refreshers, for about 15 years my state required a separate refresher for EMT and for Paramedic along with New CPR, certifications each time. On top of that a failure at any time would cost you your job.

As to diving, always strive to improve, an example is in not kicking up the bottom perfect how you move in the water, keep your buoyancy under complete control. Practice moving around an object taking notes with out silting out. I wish you the best of luck and have a good honest conversation with your team members to see how you will fit in find someone to mentor you, and pass on constructive criticism just as you where mentored to become a Paramedic.

I hope this helps

 

[Doogie38]

Honestly I feel if your serious about psd, you should get trained by a instructor who specializes in it from the start. took 8monts to get mine and the training was intense from drown proofing on a regular basis, and the instructors ripping off you face mask and turning your tanks off I feel I learned a lot.

I believe the big agency's are pushing cards to get cash. You shouldn't be aloud to get a open water in a weekend. And psd is different then open water. I Dive 0vis in 3knot current at 45 feet. Do I need a card for that they, hell I'll invent it and call it "channel diver"

 

[DiverDave43]

I totally agree. I've worked on a live aboard for several seasons and it always shocks me how many people will say they've been diving for let's say 10+ years then follow up with their last dive was 9 years ago. Really makes me go "umm what?"