As one forum member pointed out, Public Safety Diving is NOT recreational diving, nor is it "technical diving," commercial diving or military diving.
It IS what is IS ... PUBLIC SAFETY DIVING.
I am uncertain why our group continues to get beaten around and "pigeon holed" into some agency's "specialty" program.
What is fortunate is that the instructor in question IS affiliated with a public safety agency and has some experience in the industry. Unfortunately, we have all seen it before and the question has to be asked ... Does this experienced instructor have good experience or a lot of experience being lucky?
In the past ten years, 50% of the Public Safety Diving fatalities have been in the "training mode." Half of those fatalities were under the direct supervision of well intentioned "recreational" instructors and the other half were supervised by PSD team members who were not certified instructors.
Indianapolis Fire Department used a "recreational" instructor who had a lot of experience. Unfortunately the experience of this recreationally trained instructor was not good enough to prevent two tragedies spaced 22 months apart. Details at:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200215.html
and
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200038.html
Responsible instructors, training agencies and insurance carriers should consider the risks and liabilities associated with instructors teaching outside of their speciality group. As George Santayana stated, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." I only hope it is not at the expense of a brother Public Safety Diver's life.
Safe diving,
Blades Robinson
It IS what is IS ... PUBLIC SAFETY DIVING.
I am uncertain why our group continues to get beaten around and "pigeon holed" into some agency's "specialty" program.
What is fortunate is that the instructor in question IS affiliated with a public safety agency and has some experience in the industry. Unfortunately, we have all seen it before and the question has to be asked ... Does this experienced instructor have good experience or a lot of experience being lucky?
In the past ten years, 50% of the Public Safety Diving fatalities have been in the "training mode." Half of those fatalities were under the direct supervision of well intentioned "recreational" instructors and the other half were supervised by PSD team members who were not certified instructors.
Indianapolis Fire Department used a "recreational" instructor who had a lot of experience. Unfortunately the experience of this recreationally trained instructor was not good enough to prevent two tragedies spaced 22 months apart. Details at:
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200215.html
and
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/fire/reports/face200038.html
Responsible instructors, training agencies and insurance carriers should consider the risks and liabilities associated with instructors teaching outside of their speciality group. As George Santayana stated, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." I only hope it is not at the expense of a brother Public Safety Diver's life.
Safe diving,
Blades Robinson