Public safety divers are people who work in law enforcement, search and rescue, or both. Public safety divers differ from recreational divers in a few key ways, including their training, dive locations, and dates, and their special equipment. Public safety divers are responsible for protecting the environment and the lives of others on the surface. Public safety divers will also be well-equipped to deal with the unique demands of law enforcement work and the numerous tasks it involves.
Training requirements
Public safety divers must complete several training courses. The course's first phase involves knowledge acquisition in a classroom setting. Students will learn about different techniques for conducting searches and resolving missions. They will also learn the requirements for various equipment. The second phase includes multiple dives, where students practice their recovery and search skills in controlled environments. This course is for public safety divers who wish to work in dangerous or contaminated water.
The ERDI course is the most basic of the public safety diver training programs. It has been approved for training by OSHA, STATE, NFPA. The next course is ERDI Level II, which covers advanced techniques of emergency response diving. It also includes the use full face masks and dry suits. After completing the training, an ERDI certificate card will be issued. ERDI instructors will be able certification you.
Role of public safety divers within law enforcement
It is vital to not underestimate the role of public safety diver in law enforcement. They often work undercover and may encounter suspects, as well as criminals, in the ocean. They are professionals, but they do not diminish the important role of investigators or police officers. Both investigators and divers are crucial to law enforcement operations' success.
In some cases, LEOs use dive teams to respond to crimes in water, but in many cases, they will also respond to incidents on land. The divers will typically be deployed in patrol vehicles or small boats, and change into scuba gear once they arrive on the water's edge. During land-based investigations, LEOs and investigators communicate using spoken codes on police radio frequencies. These codes can't be used underwater. So, divers are likely to learn American Sign Language (ASL) in order communicate with investigators.
Gear is required
There is a wide range of safety gear used by public safety divers. Some are provided by the government, others must supply their own. In order to make zero visibility environments more manageable and easier to maintain, it is ideal that all divers are properly equipped. A full-face mask should be a standard piece of gear. Public safety divers often dive in contaminated waters, around submerged vehicles, and around bodies of water. Either way, the gear's quality is important.
PSD courses combine parts from multiple diving specialties. These include advanced diving, rescue dives and master diving. Technical skills and nitrox may also be taught to divers in order to aid in salvage and recovery. A larger department may also require PSD divers to be trained in other types of diving or in a specialized environment. These divers may be called on to perform rescue and search missions in conditions that a sport diver would not encounter.