Day one of DR-1 is in the history books
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We got to class at our SAR building around 7:30am. AT least 19 of the 21 students did. Ill let the boys to the west of us explain why they were late later. ;^) Instructors even moved the pair to the front of the class.
The first couple of hours were introductions, house cleaning issues, filling out paperwork and dealing with liability issues. Then the instruction started.
Some Power Point and videos assisted the LEO and Fireman DRI Instructors get their point across to the group.
Lunch was on the run as we headed for the YMCA pool in the new city of Spokane Valley.
Prior to leaving class we were broken up into 5 teams (+1) using the old 1-2-3-4 around the room system.
At the Y we get suited up as we will dive later. Nice warm water with dry suits, hoods, gloves and what ever else we will wear tomorrow and Saturday in the lake. I wore the 50/50 w/o underwear and felt like I was the roast in the crock-pot.
We get lined up on the 12-foot bottom for basic skills. Mask off and back on, switch regs back and forth, remove and replace weight belts, remove and replace the BC (the integrated boys will have their systems for sale soon and will be in the belt market).
Then came buddy breathing not only to the surface but also a good percentage of the pool length. After that we did both free and buoyant ESAs.
Then we switch instructors and cover body bagging on the bottom, hard wire communications, rope tending and searching plus some other goodies.
That was about it. I got to meet a couple of the SB members I have been looking forward to meeting for the past year. The wait was worth it. Nice guys and from what I have seen so far they are very capable of doing this type of work. They just cant read a watch.
Im headed into the throne room to start the reading and workbook that has to be done by Saturday morning.
More later
Gary D.
__________________
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We got to class at our SAR building around 7:30am. AT least 19 of the 21 students did. Ill let the boys to the west of us explain why they were late later. ;^) Instructors even moved the pair to the front of the class.
The first couple of hours were introductions, house cleaning issues, filling out paperwork and dealing with liability issues. Then the instruction started.
Some Power Point and videos assisted the LEO and Fireman DRI Instructors get their point across to the group.
Lunch was on the run as we headed for the YMCA pool in the new city of Spokane Valley.
Prior to leaving class we were broken up into 5 teams (+1) using the old 1-2-3-4 around the room system.
At the Y we get suited up as we will dive later. Nice warm water with dry suits, hoods, gloves and what ever else we will wear tomorrow and Saturday in the lake. I wore the 50/50 w/o underwear and felt like I was the roast in the crock-pot.
We get lined up on the 12-foot bottom for basic skills. Mask off and back on, switch regs back and forth, remove and replace weight belts, remove and replace the BC (the integrated boys will have their systems for sale soon and will be in the belt market).
Then came buddy breathing not only to the surface but also a good percentage of the pool length. After that we did both free and buoyant ESAs.
Then we switch instructors and cover body bagging on the bottom, hard wire communications, rope tending and searching plus some other goodies.
That was about it. I got to meet a couple of the SB members I have been looking forward to meeting for the past year. The wait was worth it. Nice guys and from what I have seen so far they are very capable of doing this type of work. They just cant read a watch.
Im headed into the throne room to start the reading and workbook that has to be done by Saturday morning.
More later
Gary D.
__________________
