TRAINING HEALTHY DIVING

Entanglement tunnels are used for PSD training. Photo by Mike Sieverman and Laura Clark Laura and Sieverman Mike by Photo The Demands of Training the Public Safety Diver By Michael Sieverman, NAUI 53926

t’s 2 o’clock in the morning. Got your attention? familiar. Did you record your actions You’re miserable and cold. Large The above may sound exciting on that dive? Did you videotape or Iraindrops strike your face. The air and dramatic, but it isn’t real. It’s a photograph anything? How accurate is barely above freezing. combination of reality and some are your records or notes? These are You’re standing on the pitching deck artistic license. The more likely all things to consider as an instructor of the boat as swells roll it back and reality is that you are sitting in the teaching this highly specialized and forth, up and down. A helicopter conference room at the law offices of oftentimes dangerous police work. hovers overhead, its rotor wash Dewey, Cheatem & Howe (a nod to Divers who perform PSD roles whipping up frigid wind and mist as “Car Talk”) answering interminable require higher levels of training its searchlight hits the black-water. questions about an incident that than recreational divers. NAUI There’s a small private airplane happened 22 months ago, and your Instructors have been training down there, somewhere down there, every word is being recorded by a divers for technical, professional reported to have hit the water an stenographer tapping away on the and government roles since our hour ago. The water is cold and dark, machine. The questions are repetitive, beginning. Teaching public safety and a light sheen of oil can be seen in depth, and at times seem to have diving is a multilayered specialty. on the surface with bits of flotsam. nothing to do with the dive. The history of public safety All gear checks have been completed. As scuba instructors, we are diving is one of growth. The role Pulling your mask onto your face and professionals and, by legal definition, was brought about by necessity. taking a breath, you hear: “Divers in experts in our field. Once in the Police officers, sheriff’s deputies and the water.” You step off the deck into realm of , you firefighters were tasked with entering the water. It’s just another night in the open the door to legal aspects of the water to accomplish necessary life of the public safety diver (PSD). the dive industry that few may find tasks. As time passed and technology

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New candidates prepare for a swim test during the New England State Police Administrators Conference. Photo by S. Hromcik S. by Photo

progressed, their roles became more little understanding of what it’s like and surface-supplied and hard-hat complex, and using recreationally to sit behind the wheel of a gear. The environments these trained divers was no longer a car. When it comes to the demands divers encounter could include open safe option. Teams that had been of police driving, it’s a completely ocean, altitude, currents, under ice or operating for years began to look at different world. The finer skills of zero visibility. their training and decide that better racing (entry, apex, exit of turns, NAUI Instructors hone their craft training meant safer as well as better high-speed maneuvering, etc.) are and fine-tune their teaching through divers. Budgets, safety and time were something that the average driver years of diving experience. Once we all factors when it came to training a will never need or master. leave the recreational arena and enter dive team. When teaching a PSD course, the world of the PSD, the learning With the demands and risks of instructors use portions of several curve becomes steeper still. this field being so high, the initial diving courses — advanced, rescue, There’s nothing recreational training and continuing education master diver and , along about recovering lost loved ones or need to be specific and demanding. with tech, salvage and diving documenting a tragedy. Attention It’s like learning to drive: The basics — plus their years of experience to detail and the ability to recall are often taught by a parent or family working as public safety officers. seemingly insignificant events are friend, though the best place to learn Larger departments are often subject to examination — often in is a professional school. Only with required to deploy divers in a excruciating detail. When I decided proper training and experience do wide variety of circumstances and to start teaching public safety diving we get a safe, qualified driver. Taking environments with an immense in 2011, I sat down and wrote my own that a step further, someone who array of gear, including full face textbook. I often request feedback has been driving many years has masks, closed-circuit , from students or clients to improve

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Divers from the California State Parks police search the seawall at the Coast Guard docks in Newport Harbor. Photo by Mike Sieverman and Laura Clark Laura and Sieverman Mike by Photo

my courses. Without feedback, your training was filled with “no-win” can trust is also important to the program is not going to grow. With scenarios to test officers’ ability when success of any course. There are every change in gear or updated confronted with failure. Later, the many different public safety agencies technique, I edit and update my concept was called into question: and many different environmental book. The NAUI Public Safety Diver While these scenarios may be a test demands. Being able to meet the course is designed to provide a rock- of character, they do nothing to teach needs of various agencies requires solid foundation for training, with a and reinforce the best way to handle a flexible course. In-service training focus on creating the best and safest situations. During my courses, I test workshops for dive teams in the divers possible. and challenge divers’ abilities while surrounding area can be a fantastic maintaining a safe environment. way of introducing yourself, your Identifying Goals While there may be a “no-win” program and your ability to these We begin by identifying a problem. scenario, the goal is to get candidates close-knit groups. Problems that occur during to recognize it before attempting to The tasks or missions associated training or during real operations solve it. It is rare that there is only one with public safety diving include can be used to develop training to a problem. searches, recoveries and salvage. protocols. Evaluation of an incident Challenging divers with an Further, we must incorporate is a valuable tool in identifying what “entanglement tunnel” and teaching training in evidence recovery and went wrong and addressing issues them to retrieve their alternate air preservation. There is little wiggle divers may face. The next step is to source without the use of their hands room when it comes to recovering create realistic, challenging and safe are just two of the skills I cover. When evidence. The manner in which training. Putting divers through a challenging skill becomes second divers locate, recover and document rigorous drills and pushing their nature, I increase the difficulty with is all subject to future scrutiny. When limits of comfort — while ensuring elements such as wearing blacked- the training that public safety divers there are adequate safety measures out masks. received comes into the equation — in place should a diver experience We must strive to present effective and it will — their instructor must trouble — is the best way to build training courses that create the best be prepared to identify the steps confident, safer divers. possible divers. Staffing a course taken to train them. There’s a saying In the early days, law enforcement with excellent assistants whom you common in police training, “tools

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The author enters the water with the Santa Barbara Sheriff’s Department. Photo by Mike Sieverman and Laura Clark Laura and Sieverman Mike by Photo

in a toolbox,” which means any job i.e., the managing of resources and Trying new techniques and requires a set of appropriate tools. ensuring all divers on the scene have brainstorming are great ways to When it comes to dive operations, received the proper training, have the improve our courses. I’ve read many we are training our students to use equipment required to perform the posts and articles from other NAUI the tools that will be available when tasks at hand, and get the job done, Instructors who are trying new needed. The more tools they have, the is a fundamental part of the world of things and posting their work on easier the job will be. public safety diving. social media. Granted, sometimes a Police officers are used to being in For instructors, these are all facets new idea doesn’t work so well; I’ve the courtroom. There’s a difference of the NAUI Public Safety Diver certainly had my share of those. But between being deposed and being certification course, and all require without striving to be the best, we’ll questioned as a witness (giving an ongoing commitment to keep never improve. When our abilities testimony), though typically both are the teaching up to date. As with any and methods grow and improve, the done under oath. Giving a deposition training, starting with the basics and training process is the better for it. in a civil matter is typically done in working up to the more complex a law office, whereas testimony is is the best approach. The goal is to Michael Sieverman is a retired given on the witness stand in the provide realistic, safe and challenging senior police officer. He has been courtroom. Giving credible, well- training, as reflected in our mantra: teaching the NAUI Public Safety investigated testimony is a critical “Where Leaders Dive.” Diver course since 2012 and is component of a public safety diver’s Each and every NAUI Instructor, one of the committee members world. Any diver who enters the whether teaching public safety, tech responsible for authoring the NAUI water to recover an item is subject to or recreational scuba, is promoting course standards. He teaches both having his or her actions examined and instilling the idea that great NAUI PSD and recreational courses through deposition or subpoena. training makes great divers. I will tell in Southern California. Additional Our teaching must address the anyone that being a NAUI Instructor information regarding his courses big picture: the role of the dive was one of the best choices I ever can be found on his member page or supervisor, who is responsible for the made, and with that comes great at publicsafetydivetraining.com. entire dive operation and the crime responsibility — to train the best, scene overall. The “zone” concept, safest divers one can.

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