DIVERS DOWN!!!!! May 20, 2007
Ames, Iowa – Looking for things underwater in a pool is something all of us have done. However, imagine trying to find something in water that you can not see through, or has snags that can keep you down. These are the conditions that professional search and recovery divers are subjected too. Members of Central Iowa Underwater Search and Rescue (CIUSR) spent Sunday morning at Ames Municipal Pool practicing search patterns and upgrading their skills to begin to meet professional safety diver status.
CIUSR Divers practice a ‘V Search Pattern” at the Ames Municipal Pool!
The training, which is to Professional Public Safety Diver Level as put forth by Emergency Response Diver International level, prepares divers and ground personnel to deal with the hazards of rescue and recovery diving per national level regulations.
Scott Madison, Ames, tows Ernest Pettit of Osceola during dive training!
“In order to better protect the departments who call us out and to protect our own divers and personnel, we are upgrading our training”, says CIUSR Training Officer Bryan Gentner of Ames. “We have some of the most experienced recover and rescue divers in the state but we always need to upgrade our training”.
Towing 2: Jason Hamilton, Adel, Steve Huff, Des Moines, Larry Doss, Des Moines, Derek Campbell, Des Moines
Divers and line tenders completed training in the US Coast Guard approved floatation device with cutting tools, rescue signals (audible and visual) gloves (latex and work) as well as a 200 meter swim, 100 meter emergency tow, 200 meter snorkel swim, 200 meter emergency tow, survival float for 15 minutes, weight retrieval from the bottom of the pool and search pattern practice.
Larry Doss (in goggles), Des Moines and Derek Campbell, Des Moines, start their towing leg of ERDi Training!
The written portion of the test will be administered at the next training and will cover such things as dressing the primary diver, proper tethering techniques, diver communication using tethers and line signals, evidence handling procedures and decontamination procedures.
CIUSR is a professional non profit rescue and recovery dive team based out of the Polk County Sherriff’s Office. CIUSR provides requesting agencies with highly trained professional volunteer divers and support personnel to assist in the recovery and/or rescue of person or evidence in swift water, ice and still water situations. CIUSR members are from all over central Iowa. More information can be found by calling the Polk County Sherriff’s Office at 
515-286-3800
.
Emergency Response Diver International is a nationally recognized professional public safety diver certification and is OSHA and NFPA 1670 and 1006 approved. Some of the most successful ERDi teams are the Chicago Fire Department, Chicago Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. More information can be found by calling Randy Molnari at 515-255-7282 or www.tdisdi.com.
Contact info: Bryan Gentner: Training officer 233-3435 (also Ames Outdoor Power Equipment)
Scott Madison: VP 515-314-0570
Robin Habeger: Secretary 515-231-5763
Randy Molnari: Certified ERDi I & II Instructor. Adventure Diving Inc. in West Des Moines. 515 - 255 – 7282
“He is a great promoter of diving and tells all his friends about diving with the sharks,” Stuart says. “There have been a few times when divers have been hesitant of doing a shark dive, but when they see that Travis isn’t afraid, they jump in and have a great time.”
