Summit County Technical Rescue Operations Team

SUMMIT COUNTY SPECIAL OPERATIONS RESCUE TEAM WATER RESCUE BRANCH

SOG

Last Revision: NOV 07, 2007

SUMMIT COUNTY SPECIAL OPERATIONS RESCUE TEAM WATER RESCUE BRANCH SOG

I. INTRODUCTION A. To provide an organized, well trained, experienced water rescue team for response to water-related incidents within Summit County. Shall provide rescue in the disciplines as described in the NFPA 1670 and 1006 Standards.

B. The Summit County Special Operations Rescue Team Water Branch shall be responsible for the rescue of persons involved in water-related events and the recovery of drowning victims.

C. The SCSORT Water will not be used for salvage-only operations. Calls, which are strictly salvage in nature, will be handled by the local department having jurisdiction utilizing mutual aid. Individual dive team departments may elect to attend a salvage operation based on training merit.

II. TEAM RESPONSE

A. At the Incident Commanders request for the SORT Water Rescue Branch, the local dispatcher will notify all water rescue branch departments in the zone requested. A staging area shall be established and this location shall be given to the responding departments.

B. Water Rescue Branch departments that receive requests for the county team should dispatch their own members according to their protocols.

C. Members should assemble at their own departments as much as possible and respond with their equipment to the assigned staging area.

D. Arriving members should check in with the Water Rescue Staging Officer, then return to the staging area until assigned to a task.

E. There shall be three zones designated to evenly distribute rescuers. Their designations are to be North, Akron, and South.

1. The “North Zone” is currently comprised of Water Rescue Teams from the community FD’s of Bath, Cuyahoga Falls, Macedonia, Twinsburg, Stow, and Tallmadge Fire Departments.

2. The “Akron Zone” is comprised of The Akron Fire Department.

3. The “South Zone” is currently comprised of Water Rescue Teams from the community FD’s of Coventry, New Franklin Twp, and Green Fire Departments.

4. If a call originates in a community within the North Zone, the first page will be to the North Zone, the second page will be to Akron, and if necessary, a third page will be make to the South Zone.

5. If a call originates in a community within the South Zone, the first page will be to the South Zone, the second page will be to Akron, and if necessary, a third page will be made to the North Zone.

6. If a call originates in Akron, the Akron Incident Commander will determine which Zone is closest to the area of Akron in which the call originated and the second page, if required, will be made to that Zone. If necessary, a third page will be initiated to the remaining Zone, depending on the nature of the response, the manpower needed, and/or the equipment required to mitigate the emergency.

7. Requests for individual items of Water Response equipment such as boats, sonar equipment, etc will be a “Special Call”.

F. Water Branch Technical Assistance Team (TAT) Requests

Activation of Water Branch TAT will proceed through SORT Dispatch. Dispatch shall notify the Director of Operations, the Water Branch Director(s) of the Team, and the Water Branch TAT members using ALPHIE paging. One of these individuals will make a consultation return phone call to the IC to determine the nature of the situation and the best method the Water Rescue Branch can assist with. The individual making contact will either: (1) Provide the needed information over the phone, (2) activate the Zone TAT through SORT Dispatch, or (3) advise the IC to activate a Zone Water Rescue call up.

Water Rescue Branch Technical Assistance Team Members

Lt. John Carney Director, Water Rescue Branch Lt. Tom Peddle Director, Water Rescue Branch Lt. Fred Jackson Cuyahoga Falls Fire Dept. Lt Doug Cincurak Green Fire Dept. Lt. Chris Miller Stow Fire Dept.

III. SCENE CONTROL

A. Upon Arrival at the scene, a senior member should assume the role of Water Task Force Leader if one has not already been designated. The assigned Leader shall determine the feasibility of water operations based on water conditions, weather, personnel, water speed, depth, daylight, etc.

B. All witnesses should immediately be located and interviewed. Interviews should be done privately to avoid a "consensus story".

C. The risk/benefit should be analyzed and the type of operation determined: 1. Rescue mode- shall be used when there is a chance life may be saved. Generally one and one-half hour elapsed time maximum from last time seen. Planning must be rapid. Rescuers should be in the water quickly.

2. Recovery mode- Shall be used when saving human life is not involved, i.e., body has been in the water over one and one-half hour. Planning and operations should be slower and more elaborate.

3. Salvage Mode- Shall be used when recovering articles, vehicles, etc. Follows the same guidelines as recovery mode.

D. The scene should be secured and the operations area roped off. All persons in the roped off area must be authorized by the Water Task Force Leader.

E. An appropriate entry/exit point should be determined and water conditions assessed.

F. Once all the necessary information is collected, a dive plan with distinct goals and objectives should be formed. A pre-dive briefing should be given to all members prior to the any diver entering the water.

G. Once again, a rescue mode dive must take place very quickly so some of these steps may be abbreviated. HOWEVER, remember that the safety of the dive team is most important and no entry should be made until it can be done safely.

IV. EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL

A. All responding SCSORT members shall report to Water Rescue Staging (STAG) for assignment, and return to staging as you complete your assignment so you can be reassigned if needed. All members reporting to staging, as divers shall meet all the requirements as outlined in this SOG Appendix B.

B. SCSORT recommends that all equipment brought by responding members be packaged and used according to this S.O.G. See Standard Equipment List - Appendix C.

V. OPERATIONS

A. Prior to beginning a dive operation, the water rescue branch, in recovery mode, shall have on site a dedicated ALS unit appropriately staffed with at least one EMT-A and one Paramedic. In rescue mode the ALS unit shall be enroute.

B. Any member of the water branch who will don equipment to enter the water will be required to have a pre-dive physical. The pre-dive physical may be abbreviated during the initial rescue response. The following will be recorded on the physical log sheet; 1. Baseline vitals to include blood pressure, pulse, and respirations, when conditions warrant, include body weight. Any out of range vital signs may disqualify a diver from entry. This will be at the discretion of the Water Task Force Leader. 2. Documentation of level of consciousness. 3. Current medical history or medications. 4. Any history of alcohol ingestion in the past 24 hours. 5. Rapid Field Neurological Exam 6. An abbreviated exam, in Rescue Mode, may consist of oral history only. i.e. LOC, Recent Illness, Injury, or Medication. Any alcohol ingestion. Any problems incompatible with equalizing. This may all be accomplished as the diver is dressing.

C. If no abnormalities are found and the diver feels good, he/she will then be dive qualified.

D. After a diver has doffed diving gear, whether he/she was in the water or not, the diver shall have a post dive physical to determine any change in condition. The following will be recorded; 1. Vital signs shall be recorded with differences from baseline noted. 2. Any injuries or illnesses occurring during the dive. 3. Repeat documentation of level of consciousness. 4. Repeat Rapid Field Neurological Exam and document any changes.

E. After completion of the post-dive physical, divers will be sent to the rehabilitation area for rest and adequate re-hydration. Divers will be required to remain in rehabilitation until vitals return to within 10% of baseline levels.

F. Team Member Emergency Medical Treatment 1. If any team member is injured or needs medical treatment, he/she shall use his/her preferred physician or hospital when possible. 2. Emergencies will be transported to the nearest appropriate medical facility. 3. Any member who is injured or becomes ill during a dive incident must report to the Water Task Force Leader or Water Assistant Safety Officer immediately and will be treated and transported as necessary. The Water Tack Force Leader must be notified of all injuries and illnesses.

G. Diving Operations 1. Dive team members must have a pre-dive physical (if required by the Water Task Force Leader). 2. Divers shall assemble their own gear and perform an initial safety check. 3. Divers shall receive a briefing prior to entering the water at which time they will be given their objective, water conditions, special hazards, and the approximate length and depth of the dive. 4. For each dive, there shall be a primary diver with dive tender and a safety diver with a dive tender. 5. The safety diver shall be at the entry point of the dive in a complete state of readiness including all safety and communications checks. 6. Prior to the primary diver entering the water, the Dive Tender shall do a final safety check. The Water Safety Officer shall do an overall safety check of the primary and safety divers prior to allowing entry. 7. Divers shall report by communications system any important objects found, changing conditions, and air pressure to the dive tender at regular intervals 8. Deviation from Established Practices 1. A diver may deviate from recommended practices only if necessary to prevent or minimize a situation, which is likely to cause death, serious physical harm, or major environmental damage. 2. Members who deviate from established procedures shall submit a report to the Dive Team Leader for review so that changes may be considered in the procedures or SOG. A copy shall be forwarded to the water rescue zone coordinator committee.

5 H. Water Task Force Leader 1. Shall be a certified Public Safety Diver. 2. Shall be assigned by the Water Rescue Team Leader or Incident Commander. 3. Shall be responsible for the operation of dive team members at the scene. 4. Shall evaluate the situation based on information given by the incident commander and other involved parties. 5. Shall develop a tactical plan based on all information and assign personnel to all tasks necessary to implement the plan. 6. Shall hold a pre-dive meeting to describe the task to be undertaken and any special considerations or hazards that divers should be aware of. 7. Shall be available to the incident commander at all times and advise him/her of any progress or change in conditions or goals. 8. Upon termination of a dive incident, shall hold a post incident review for all participants in the dive operation. 9. Shall submit a report to the Chief of the department having jurisdiction and the Water Branch Zone Coordinator Committee detailing the dive operation.

I. Scribe (Assistant) 1. Shall maintain constant contact with the Water Task Force Leader. 2. Shall record the time of arrival of all team members and their assignments. Time of departure should also be recorded for any member who leaves the scene prior to termination of the dive. 3. Shall have a written record of the goals, objectives and the progress being made in the search. 4. Shall record any items or victims found along with the position and time. 5. Shall collect and maintain all diver records from the dive tenders. 6. Shall submit all records to Water Task Force Leader upon incident termination.

J. Water Assistant Safety Officer 1. Responsible for safety of all members participating in the dive incident. 2. Shall have the authority to stop any action he/she feels is an immediate threat to life. 3. Shall verify that diving conditions are safe and risk/benefit factor is appropriate prior to divers entering the water. 4. Shall verify that each diver has had pre and post dive physicals as necessary. 5. Shall verify that a safety diver is at the entry point and properly equipped, with a tender prior to authorizing a diver to make entry. 6. Shall verify that an EMS unit is on scene and dedicated to the dive team prior to authorizing a diver to make entry. 7. Shall report changing conditions to the Water Task Force Leader. 8. Shall submit all records to the Water Task Force Leader upon incident termination.

K. Tenders 1. Must be qualified to independently tend divers and operate surface support systems. Tenders should be active divers when possible. 2. Tenders will keep the Water Task Force Leader and Water Safety Officer informed of the progress of the dive and/or emergencies. 3. Shall check divers for proper equipment and proper operation of same. 4. Shall report the divers name, time on and off air, depth, beginning and ending air pressure and any important details of the dive. The tender shall forward this

6 information to the Scribe for safekeeping. 5. Shall be responsible for constantly knowing the position of the diver by location of air bubbles and amount of rope out. 6. Tenders will record, by use of reference point and rope out, the position of located items or victims. 7. Shall know all appropriate line signals in the event of communications system failure. 8. Shall be familiar with diver emergency procedures.

L. Divers 1. Shall conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times during the incident. 2. Shall submit to pre and post dive physicals as required. 3. Shall notify the Water Task Force Leader and Water Safety Officers of any alcohol consumption in the last 24 hours and exactly how much in the last six hours. A go no-go decision will be at the discretion of the Water Task Force Leader. 4. The ultimate decision to dive rests with the individual diver. A diver may refuse a dive, without penalty, whenever he/she feels it is unsafe for him/her to dive. 5. In the interest of safety, the diver shall have the authority to refuse to dive or refuse to continue to dive if, in his/her judgment, conditions are unsafe or unfavorable. If this occurs, the diver should immediately discuss the concerns with the Water Task Force Leader and the Water Safety Officer prior to another diver making entry in order to determine if a change in the tactical plan is required. 6. Divers shall maintain accurate records of all training and dives they perform. This information shall be furnished to the Water Team Coordinator and/or Training Officer upon request. 7. Divers shall be certified for the conditions present at the scene of each dive incident.

M. Appropriate Exposure Protection 1. All divers shall have the following equipment in place before beginning a dive. a. Buoyancy compensator with integral weights, weight belt or weight harness system. b. Minimum of 2 cutting tools shall be worn. c. Redundant air sources shall be used. All air sources are to have a separate first stage regulator and submersible pressure gauge, OR surface supplied air setup. (See Appendix A - Definitions) d. Full-face second stage regulator or conventional second stage and mask. e. Depth gauge f. Fins g. Other equipment may be required depending on dive conditions. The following equipment will also be required as necessary: (1) Ice Harness (2) Dive lights (3) Dive flags (4) Compass (5) Surface float capable of supporting at least one diver. 2. All surface support team members who are near the water or in a boat shall wear Coast Guard approved Personal Flotation Devices (PFD's).

3. Ideally, all dive team members will use dive equipment approved by their department, However, by designating a standard ensemble to be used by all Summit County Fire Departments the problem of divers having to use equipment they are not familiar with should be avoided. Standard Equipment List - See Appendix C 4. All equipment shall be inspected and maintained according to manufacturer standards. A licensed technician shall perform any service. Equipment should be routinely inspected to insure proper operation.

N. Body Recovery 1. When a body is found, the diver will inform the tender by voice communication or line signals. The dive tender will mark the location and discretely notify the Water Task Force Leader. 2. The divers should not bring the body to the shore until a reasonable attempt has been made to clear the area of family, media, etc. 3. If a PIO has not been assigned, a liaison should be offered to the Incident Commander to keep him informed of the situation.

O. Surface Supplied Air Diving 1. Surface supplied diving shall follow applicable U.S. Navy standards. 2. Each surface-supplied diver shall be hose tended by a separate trained tender. 3. Divers using surface supplied air shall maintain appropriate voice communications rope signals with the dive tender. 4. The surface supplied breathing gas supply shall be sufficient to support all surface supplied breathing divers in the water for the duration of the planned dive. 5. During surface supplied diving operations when only one diver is down, A safety diver shall be on standby per operating guidelines. 6. When surface supplied systems are used, an air supply officer shall be designated to be responsible for maintaining the air supply. 7. A redundant air supply shall be utilized.

P. Enclosed or Confined Spaces (High Risk) 1. Entry into underwater confined spaces shall not be performed unless the risk/benefit is extremely favorable. 2. If a diver enters a confined space underwater, a second diver shall be placed at the underwater entry point with a separate tender line.

Q. Termination of Individual Dive 1. The Water Crew Boss shall terminate a specific dive when: a. A diver requests termination b. A diver fails to correctly respond to communications via comm or line signals. c. A member’s objective is reached. 2. A dive shall be suspended if the Diver, Water Task Force Leader, or Water Safety Officer feels conditions are unsafe. 3. If used, unless the dive is being made in rescue mode, failure of the hardwire communications system or without an effective rope signal process shall cause the dive to be terminated.

R. Communications Procedures 1. Dive operations should utilize hard line communication for safety and quality of dive operations and shall be utilized when ice diving or at high-risk incidents. When diving in rescue mode if the communications system fails for some reason begin rope pulls for communication and continue as long as both the diver and the tender are comfortable and assured of clear communication. 2. When diving in recovery mode, if the communication system fails and without effective rope signals, abort and attempt to resolve the problem. 3. Rope Signals: An effective recognized means of line communications will be in place and reviewed prior to the dive. 4. Hand Signals: An effective recognized means of emergency hand signals shall be in place and reviewed prior to the dive.

S. Lost Ice Diver Diver Lost a. Stop and Relax b. If safety line not in sight controlled ascent to ice ceiling. c. Stay in one spot - Do not panic. Remain vertical to maximize rope contact area. Remember weight belt PRN. Team Response to a Lost Diver a. Notify the Water Task Force Leader b. Note distance from the hole & direction of the lost diver. c. Deploy backup diver 30 degrees behind and 50 feet beyond last known point. d. Clockwise search pattern just underneath the ice ceiling. e. Complete 360-degree sweep. f. If not found, concentrate search on the bottom. g. Consider termination of all other activities until the diver is located

T. Swiftwater/Flood

The recommended response to a swiftwater/flood response shall follow the guidance of the Ohio Response Plan. Manning shall consist of a 16 person Task Force, consisting of a Task Force Leader, Assistance Safety Officer, Liaison, Logistics, and 2 rescue crews of six each, consisting of a Leader and 5 member squad.

Requirements shall consist of the State of Ohio Swift Water Technician Class, or equivalent, Rope Technician, and a minimum of four Public Safety Divers.

PPE Equipment: Swift water helmet, class 5 PFD, whistle, cutting tool, exposure protection, gloves, and boots.

Team Equipment: Communication, watercraft, rope rescue equipment, rehabilitation supplies, ALS EMS, and dive equipment.

Rope – Will conform to Summit County Rope SOG Section

Typical swiftwater/flood scene setup:

1-Task Force Leader 1-Assistance Safety Officer

9 1-Liaison Officer 1-Logistics Leader 2-Upstream Spotters 2-Downstream Safeties 2-Rescue Squad Leaders 10-Rescuers

Two members shall be assisted to provide upstream safety for problems, which may affect the rescue effort. Concerns shall be immediately relayed to the Task Force Leader.

Two members shall be assigned to provide downstream safety. These members shall carry two throw bags each minimum. Their primary responsibility shall providing rescue safety to the rescuers and victims at a swiftwater event.

Rescue squads shall all wear appropriate PPE at all times. Each squad will have a leader with communication to the Task Force Leader.

Rescue techniques shall follow accepted practices as taught by the Ohio Swiftwater Rescue Technician Course. Efforts shall always be made to ensure that all members shall not work alone.

Communication equipment shall be distributed so all members will be able to immediately communicate throughout the chain of command.

U. Ice Rescue

A. Conduct size-up; evaluate ice, water and environmental conditions B. Don proper PPE and equipment C. Consider victims condition and ability to assist in their rescue D. Conduct rescue utilizing the reach, throw, row, go model E. Provide patient care following applicable EMS Protocols

VI. INCIDENT TERMINATION

A. CONSIDER DECON!

B. The Water Task Force Leader shall terminate the dive operation when: 1. The objectives of the dive have been met. 2. Recovery operations have been ongoing and thorough for up to 24 hours without results. 3. Conditions no longer support dive activity. i.e. nightfall, inclement weather.

C. Incident Command desires termination.

D. The Water Task Force Leader should hold a post incident review for all dive personnel involved prior to leaving the scene or as soon as practical.

E. The Water Task Force Leader will collect all notes and forms from Officers and dive tenders for the final report on the dive operation.

10 F. Advise IC to consider a security watch for re-float and contingencies.

G. Advise IC if dive is terminated, and if operations are to resume. i.e. nightfall.

H. Consider de-briefing and/or CISD.

11 APPENDIX A

DEFINITIONS OF SCSORT WATER BRANCH TERMS

Backup Air Source - An air supply with a minimum of a 13 cubic foot cylinder, first stage regulator and a second stage source. The backup air must be available to the backup or rescue diver to be delivered to the dive in distress upon request.

Dive- A dive will be considered to start when a member enters the water and ends when he leaves the water. If he re-enters the water during the same operation, that will be considered a separate dive unless the surface interval is less than 10 minutes. Each dive will require a separate dive log.

Diver- An employee in the water using underwater breathing apparatus that supplies compressed breathing air at ambient pressure.

Dive Location- A surface area or vessel from which a dive operation is conducted.

Dive Operation- the entire operation needed to accomplish the given task(s). It may consist of more than one dive for a member.

Dive Officer- An employee who is in charge of the dive team including training and operations. The dive officer is responsible for coordinating and organizing the dive team from his/her department.

Water Task Force Leader- The person in charge of an individual training exercise or dive operation. Any dive team member with the experience necessary to oversee an operation. Should be knowledgeable on equipment, personnel, overall operations, and be comfortable overseeing the operation at hand. May be assigned by the Dive officer or Incident Commander.

High Risk Dive Incident - Any time where significant entanglement, entrapment, entering vehicles or vessels, or diving under the ice is possible, it shall be considered to be a high risk incident.

Incident Commander- The person in charge of the overall scene. Typically from the hosting jurisdiction. A liaison from the dive team shall be assigned to the Incident Commander.

Public Safety Diver- A diver with a minimum of basic and advanced open water, and search and recovery diver (or equivalent) certification. Shall also be certified to dive any special hazards; (i.e. Ice diver, Night diver, etc.) Shall by Jan. 1, 1996 have a public safety diver certification from a recognized agency.

Redundant Air Supply - An independent air supply with a minimum or 13 cubic foot cylinder used in conjunction with a SCUBA cylinder or surface supplied air. The use of redundant air means that it is attached to and immediately available to the diver.

Rescue Mode- Response to be taken when there is a chance of rescuing a victim alive. Refers to human life. A maximum of one and one-half hour from the last time seen. Recovery Mode- Response to be taken when there is no chance of rescuing a victim alive. Refers to human life. Maximum of 24 hours from last time seen. Possibly longer if training merit is justified.

Routine Dive/Water Incident - Any water rescue incident that is not considered to be a high risk incident.

12 Salvage Mode- Diving for the sole purpose of property recovery.

Safety Diver- A diver assigned to stand by at the entry point completely dressed (needing only to go on air) to assist a diver in the water.

Scribe (Assistant)- Member used for the needs of documentation. Shall report to the Dive Control Officer. Documentation shall include members’ present, current assignments, diagrams and maps, and dive logs collected from the tenders.

Tender- A diver or other trained person in the responsibility of the divers safety. The tender controls all diver communications and search patterns.

Team leader- see Dive Officer

13 APPENDIX B

SCSORT WATER BRANCH DIVER TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

All SCSORT Divers

Shall be a member of a safety department within Summit County.

Shall be certified in CPR in accordance with recognized standards.

Shall submit to a comprehensive physical examination specific to SCUBA Diving by an approved physician prior to appointment to the team. Physicals will be required by all team members bi-annually thereafter.

Shall be certified as a Public Safety Diver in accordance with guidelines set forth by the dive committee.

Shall have met the requirements of a Public Safety Diver in accordance to the NFPA 1670 and 1006 Standards. Team members shall not be permitted to dive in rescue mode until certified as a Public Safety Diver.

Divers shall only dive to the level trained.

Ongoing dive training shall be held as often as designated by the dive team committee.

Divers will be required to complete a minimum of 4 Public Safety Open Water dives per year. A dive shall be a minimum of 10 feet in depth and 15 minutes in duration. All dives must be logged on the SCSORT Dive Log Form. Divers will also be required to complete any pool or open water skill review sessions necessary to maintain certification as a public safety diver.

Divers who do not meet the minimum requirements for training will be placed on inactive status and will not be allowed to dive at any county dive team operation.

Divers on inactive status must complete the necessary amount of dives and down time necessary to recertify as a Public Safety Diver prior to being placed on active status again. While on inactive status, divers may participate at a dive incident in a support capacity, but may not dive.

Regardless of whether a diver has met the requirements of an departmental dive team, they will not be permitted to dive with the county dive team unless they have applied for and are a member of the county dive team.

APPENDIX C

Standard Equipment List - Water Rescue

Item Type or Make Comments

Dry Suit Viking Pro Vulcanized Rubber

SW Dry Suit NRS Tri-Laminate

Full Face Mask Divator MKII ---

Communications OTS 4-Wire System w/ HUC ---

First Stage Regulators --- Meet or Exceed Navy Class A

Second Stage Regulators --- Meet or Exceed Navy Class A

Alternate Air Source ScubaPro Air II ---

Gauge Console --- Pressure and Depth

Primary SCUBA Cylinder --- Minimum of 80 cubic feet

Secondary SCUBA Cylinder Minimum of 13 cubic feet

Manifold Block DSI Manifold Block ---

15 APPENDIX D Rope Signals (DRI)

Diver to Tender

1 Tug- I am OK 2 Tugs- I need more line 3 Tugs- I have found object 4 Tugs- I need assistance/help

Tender to Diver

1 Tug- Are you OK 2 Tugs- Stop, change direction, take in/out line (Pre-Designate) 3 Tugs- Come to the surface 4 Tugs- Stop, danger on the surface or in the water

Hand Signals (DRI)

Diver to Diver in Black Water

Fist- Air Emergency Open Flat Hand- Stay back Finger Pointing- Follow to problem, i.e. tangled

Rope Signals (LGS)

Tender to Diver

One pull – Stop, face the line, take up slack, are you “OK”. Two pulls – Used in Ice, diver will give one pull for every breath until you receive a one pull back (usually for15 seconds), to count respirations. Three pulls – Go to the diver’s right. Four pulls – Go to the divers left. 2 + 2 – Search immediate area. 3 + 3 – Stand by on the bottom. 4 + 4 – Come up.

Diver to Tender

One pull – I am “OK”. Two pulls – Make notation. 6+6 - Object found. 2+2+2 – I am OK, but have a problem: alert safety diver. 3+3+3 – I am OK, but need help from the back up diver. 4+4+4 – I need Immediate Help!

Hand Signals (LGS)

Tapping the safety diver hand to the primary divers second stage or AGA - Out of Air Problem, or on my pony and need more air.

Taking the safety diver hand’s and making a large circular motion, and moving the hands in the direction of problem – I am entangled, and guides the hands to the problem area.

Tapping the safety dive hand’s the primary diver chest and moving the hands in direction of the problem – I am hurt and guides the hands to the problem area.

Safety diver placing the primary divers on the carabiner and taps/squeezes 3 times – I am leaving and I will be right back.