Public safety divers are people who work in law enforcement, search and rescue, or both. There are a few things that distinguish public safety divers from recreational divers: their training, dive locations and dates as well as their special equipment. Public safety divers are responsible for protecting the environment and the lives of others on the surface. Public safety divers will be equipped to handle the unique challenges and many tasks of law enforcement.
Training requirements
There are several training requirements for public safety divers. The first phase of this course is knowledge development in the classroom. The course will teach students about various techniques to conduct searches and resolve missions. They will also become familiar with the various equipments required for such missions. Students will then practice their search and rescue skills in controlled conditions. This course is for public safety divers who wish to work in dangerous or contaminated water.
ERDI is the simplest of all public safety diver training programs. It has been approved by NFPA and STATE as well as OSHA. Next is the ERDI Level II course. This course covers advanced techniques in emergency response diving including dry suits and full-face masks. After completion of the training, the ERDI card is issued. A certified ERDI instructor will be able to certify you.
Public safety divers play an important role in law enforcement
Public safety divers are an important part of law enforcement. Many of them work undercover, and they may come across criminals as well as suspects in the sea. While these professionals play a vital role, they should not belittle the police officers and investigators. Both of these roles are quite different. Effective law enforcement operations are dependent on both the divers and the investigators.
While LEOs may use dive teams in some cases to respond to water-related crimes, in most cases they can also respond to land-related incidents. The divers will be in patrol boats or small boats and then transform into scuba gear as soon as they reach the water's edge. LEOs (low-level officers) and investigators communicate over radio frequencies using spoken codes. These codes can be defeated underwater. So, divers are likely to learn American Sign Language (ASL) in order communicate with investigators.
Gear required
Divers using public safety gear have access to many different types of safety gear. Some are provided by the agency while others must provide their own. Ideally, all divers should be geared up in the same way, which makes zero visibility environments easier to manage and streamline maintenance. A full-face face mask is an essential piece of gear. Public safety divers don't dive in contaminated water. It is equally important to have high-quality gear.
PSD courses combine different diving specialties. These may include advanced dives, rescue dives, and master divers. Divers can also learn technical skills, nitrox and how to help in recovery and salvage operations. In order to become a PSD diver in a larger department, they may need to be trained in different types of diving and in specialized environments. These divers might be required to rescue or search in situations that are not possible for a sport diver.