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..