Members of the City of Key West Fire and Police Department Dive Teams successfully completed a rigorous, five-day NAUI Public Safety Diver Certification Course led by the NAUI PSD Instructors of DiveLogix Scuba Training and Support. These instructors traveled to Key West to train, mentor, and equip these Special Response Dive Team members with the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake this challenging mission.
Public Safety Divers constitute a unique cohort. While many begin as recreational divers, their strong desire to serve their local community often propels them to pursue advanced training, enabling them to offer emergency, rescue, and investigative services to the public, even in the most adverse conditions.
This comprehensive course encompasses advanced diving techniques, search patterns, victim rescue and recovery, evidence preservation and collection, vessel hull inspections, risk assessments, and emergency response procedures tailored to the specific challenges encountered by public safety divers.
Through a blend of classroom sessions, practical exercises, and scenario-based open-water training, participants honed the expertise required to respond confidently and effectively to a broad spectrum of underwater emergencies and incidents.
By working closely together, the City of Key West Fire and Police Department PSD Divers are now equipped to undertake joint underwater operations.
“Special thanks are extended to the Key West Police Department and Fire Department Divers for their tireless dedication to the mission,” said KWFD Division Chief Gregory Barroso, “as well as to the NAUI PSD Instructor staff: George Mills, Todd Graham, Mike Silverman, Kenton Montegna, Greg Blankenship, Terrence Tysall, and Dave Ochs, many of whom traveled from West Palm Beach, LA County, Sarasota, the University of Tennessee, and NAUI Headquarters in Tampa to facilitate this course.”