TRAINING HEALTHY DIVING

From left to right: Deputy Darwin Passman, Capt. Darryl Armentor and Deputy Mark Smith. East Baton Rouge Marine Search and Rescue By Darwin Passman, NAUI 43851

arine Search and Rescue (MSAR) is a division of regularly practicing more advanced techniques. the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office (EBRSO). Search-and-recovery operations for evidence such as MMSAR is responsible for surface and subsurface weapons are the most frequent type of dive operations water operations in East Baton Rouge Parish. Surface water conducted by the EBRSO team. These are almost always in a operations include security for the port area, boating safety shallow black-water environment with a muddy bottom and enforcement and water rescue. The MSAR Division dive unknown underwater hazards. To assist in risk management, team conducts all subsurface water operations. our maritime team first conducts a sweep of the area Port security in the Baton Rouge area is accomplished by using side-scan sonar, if possible. This provides valuable a joint effort of the U.S. Coast Guard and Joint Task Force information to the dive supervisor concerning entanglement 7, a counterterrorism task force formed by several sheriffs hazards, entry and exit points, and water depth before anyone in the Baton Rouge area. EBRSO is the lead agency of Joint enters the water. Task Force 7, and MSAR serves in both administrative and During weapon-recovery dive operations, divers face operational roles for the task force. Mark Smith (NAUI numerous hazards, including environmental risks such as 5515) and Underwater Adventures provide the NAUI Public entanglement or laceration. Another hazard often overlooked Safety Diver (PSD) training and non-PSD training for all the is the weapon itself. Handling a sharp knife with no visibility agencies in the Baton Rouge area. can pose a significant threat to the diver, and quality gloves are The EBRSO dive team has completed a wide variety of a necessity. Recovering firearms in zero-visibility conditions missions, including person-in-water rescue and recovery, also poses a great risk. A firearm can function underwater and evidence recovery, searching through sunken vessels, ship hull can be lethal to divers in close proximity if it fires. Handling scans, vehicle recovery and numerous other related operations. a weapon underwater is as dangerous as handling a weapon Our team consists of 12 deputies who all have minimum on the surface. training in open-water, rescue and public safety diving. Under As law enforcement officers, we are trained in safe weapon the NAUI PSD training program, divers have completed Kirby handling in the academy and throughout our careers. Muzzle Morgan helmet, surface-supplied air, full face mask and drysuit control and trigger awareness are key safety factors in firearm training. Our philosophy centers on remaining thoroughly recovery, and firearm handling and safety training are part of trained in the fundamentals and self-rescue skills while our regular training program. Our NAUI Public Safety Diver

92 SOURCES | FOURTH QUARTER 2017 HEALTHY DIVING TRAINING

program incorporates safe weapon handling for both edged a boat is needed. It’s a track-system vehicle on land, but once weapons and firearms. in the water, it converts the hydraulic power to a dual-inboard propeller system. The propellers are shrouded to prevent Weapon Recovery Example contact with anything in the water. EBRSO improved stability Once the weapon is found and secured by the primary diver, in the water by adding port and starboard flat-top pontoons the standby diver is deployed with the evidence container. that stabilize the vehicle and serve as wide, walkable platforms. This is an 8-inch-diameter PVC pipe, capped on one end and When the Brad G is transported on a trailer, the pontoons with a screw cap that is tethered to the container on the other fold upward and secure to the frame, while port and end. To make the container neutrally buoyant, the standby starboard ladders fold out of the way. When deployed, the diver removes the cap, fills the container with water and ladders are angled with the bottom outward, with handrails. replaces the cap. The container is then hooked to a D-ring This position is more stable and provides easier entry and exit on the diver’s BC using a carabiner. The tender or the dive on the water than on a commercial dive boat. operations supervisor communicates to the primary diver We tested the Brad G during a recent dive training that the standby is approaching. The standby diver follows operation. We loaded the dive gear and a six-man team the tether line to the diver and, once physical contact is made, (including the operator) while on land and deployed the boat disconnects the container, removes the screw top, hands the in the pond. Once in the pond, the operator converted to the container to the primary diver, and returns to the surface. prop system and motored to the dive site. There the operator The primary diver grasps the container at the mouth, secured the Brad G in place using two push poles that slip places the weapon in the container, replaces the cap, attaches through channel slots, burying the poles in the mud. the container to a BC D-ring, and communicates “I am The boat is extremely stable in the water and has the room coming up” to the tender. Chain of custody is maintained to comfortably accommodate any size dive team and any for the evidence container until the agency laboratory in equipment for this type of operation. Once the push poles charge of the investigation receives the evidence. This process are secure, it’s like diving from an anchored pier. Another minimizes the handling of the weapon and increases safety advantage is the ability to go where a boat on a trailer cannot. for everyone involved. By having only one diver in physical In our trial run, we found the Brad G was an excellent contact with the weapon, the chain of custody is kept small. dive platform. The ease of water access and stability made it Only the laboratory personnel should drain the water from superior to any small boat used as a dive platform. Using it as the evidence tube and make the weapon safe. an all-terrain vehicle, we can load our gear and divers on the Brad G prior to entering the water. This simplified process The Brad G of loading increases the safety and ease of conducting dive During the Great Flood of 2016, EBRSO acquired a operations in lakes and ponds. We plan to regularly use the Hydratrek D2488B amphibious multipurpose vehicle. Sheriff Brad G for diving operations. Sid Gautreaux named the amphibious vehicle the Brad G in If you are interested in learning more about our public safety honor of Deputy Brad Garafola, who was killed in the line of diver training program or the Brad G, contact the East Baton duty in the July 17, 2016, shootings in Baton Rouge. Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office MSAR Division Commander The Brad G’s primary mission is the rescue of people in Darryl Armentor at [email protected] or the author, flooded areas where the capability of an all-terrain vehicle and Darwin Passman, at [email protected]. SOURCES | FOURTH QUARTER 2017 93