rhelmy
Guest
So how do I become a public safety diver ? Do you have to become a police officer ? This year I have signed up for PADI rescue training. I have Lake Michigan nearby as I am located in Cook County, IL.
Public Safety Divers
- Thread starter Scubadawg
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OP
Scubadawg
Contributor
Try looking into your local fire departments, all of our divers are on a volunteer basis, except for one full time firefighter , You might check out the Water Patrol they might be able to point you in the right direction
Scubaddawg
OP
Scubadawg
Contributor
What Gear Configuration are you using, We are always looking for new ideas that others have found.
We are using
Zeagle 911 and Scubapro BC's along with both makes of regs , 3 Ocean tech full face masks and the usual odd and ends and our new dive trailer.....
Around here and I'm sure it's the same in the Chicago area for the most part you won't get on a team unless you are a police officer or on the fire department. It's a very closed society. With most of the PSD training agencies you can't even take the classes unless you are on a department.
Most of the Public safety divers around here have little or no training beyond OW and are poorly equiped. Do a search, it's something I have writted a good deal about on this board. The Indianapolis Fire department has lost 2 divers in the last three years in TRAINING accidents. I read the osha report for the first accident and IMO such incompetance was involved that they should have called it murder!
Some of the smaller departments around are made up of divers with few dives, donated equipment and ZERO training.
If you really want on a team be very careful in choosing the team.
weight_for_me
Contributor
Scubaddawd....awsome looking rig....got any pic's of the inside?. I am a volunteer firefighter (Captain/Training Officer). All of our S&R is done by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP). I don't know their level of training and wouldn't want to venture a guess. If you are interested, there is another Forum for firefighters which has a diving category...check it out at:
http://cms.firehouse.com/forums2/
Randy...
http://cms.firehouse.com/forums2/
Randy...
Aquabella
Guest
From my limited research around here I'll have to agree. I'm getting ready to apply to the local fire departments. I asked some of the guys who were part of the 'dive' unit what kind of training they had. Both shrugged thier shoulders and said they only had their OW! That surprised me. I'm wondering if I do get on somewhere whether I'll automatically be made a diver because of my... o.. so.. 'advanced' training to the rescue diver level.
I was scheduled to do the written part for the Toronto department next week...I just got a message yesterday that it is all cancelled due to the SARS problem.
Scubamedicjoe
Contributor
well as far as training on our team all must be advance open water divers and complete both the rescue and search rescue training then we have our own training and test , as far as equipment, we leave some of that up to each diver but all must have back up lights, a ditch-able weight system ,
all must have either some sort of backup breathing rig ,
and we have five training dives a year
one being combo wreck class , one being low visibility dive
and at each practice dive we practice some basic dive skills. cant speak on others but we have never had dive accident yet and hope to stay that way !!!!
all must have either some sort of backup breathing rig ,
and we have five training dives a year
one being combo wreck class , one being low visibility dive
and at each practice dive we practice some basic dive skills. cant speak on others but we have never had dive accident yet and hope to stay that way !!!!
Bob3
Contributor
The condition of SOME of the PSD teams is sad, to say the least. Most dive teams are way underfunded, with little or no $$ available for appropriate gear or training.
Divers are often stuck with having to pay for their own equipment and they wind up nothing more than plain old recreational gear and training, both of which are inadequate for many of the jobs that they'll run into.
A quick stroll through some of the fatality lists illustrates some glaring problems: http://www.teamlgs.com/Pages/fatalities.htm
Divers are often stuck with having to pay for their own equipment and they wind up nothing more than plain old recreational gear and training, both of which are inadequate for many of the jobs that they'll run into.
A quick stroll through some of the fatality lists illustrates some glaring problems: http://www.teamlgs.com/Pages/fatalities.htm
Aquabella
Guest
That link there of yours almost made me toss my cookies(yes I was eating a cookie)
"A third team was sent in, finding the second team 200 feet back in the tunnel, and the first team 788 feet into the tunnel.
All four divers died because they had run out of air in the overhead environment."
Like...come.. on. So, I guess the AOW training wasn't enough! I see it's like all diving. It's your own responsibility to get the training you need, even if it is your job and they don't care.
"A third team was sent in, finding the second team 200 feet back in the tunnel, and the first team 788 feet into the tunnel.
All four divers died because they had run out of air in the overhead environment."
Like...come.. on. So, I guess the AOW training wasn't enough! I see it's like all diving. It's your own responsibility to get the training you need, even if it is your job and they don't care.
Scubamedicjoe
Contributor
well I am sorry to see that.
I do know we have four sets that the squad bought , and my self and three others have our own gear .
I dive mine just about every month maintain and service same by local shop , I do know we have applied for several grants only as seems with others to be turned down and yes search and rescue and recovery teams are very under funded and even for training we have some of the local shops volunteer and even few charter boats who take us out and assist with our dives .
It is a true shame that there isn't more funding and even more training this year I applied for to send four divers to cave class, down in fla all the squad had to do is pay for the cost of class we all agreed to pay for our rooms but again due to budget cuts was turned down so most we get to do is deep , wreck, nitrox , and we doing a advance / intro to deco class this year and Two of us are doing a DIR-F class this year , again out of our own pocket . my self am looking for a way to increase my diving gear and change more for tech gear con-fig but funds limited .
I do know we have four sets that the squad bought , and my self and three others have our own gear .
I dive mine just about every month maintain and service same by local shop , I do know we have applied for several grants only as seems with others to be turned down and yes search and rescue and recovery teams are very under funded and even for training we have some of the local shops volunteer and even few charter boats who take us out and assist with our dives .
It is a true shame that there isn't more funding and even more training this year I applied for to send four divers to cave class, down in fla all the squad had to do is pay for the cost of class we all agreed to pay for our rooms but again due to budget cuts was turned down so most we get to do is deep , wreck, nitrox , and we doing a advance / intro to deco class this year and Two of us are doing a DIR-F class this year , again out of our own pocket . my self am looking for a way to increase my diving gear and change more for tech gear con-fig but funds limited .
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