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The next team in the series of Fire Ops 101 is the Dive Rescue team of the Middletown Fire Department. The Dive Rescue Team currently consists of 21 Members. This number is comprised of 11 certified Public Safety Divers and 10 certified line tenders. They are embedded on all four shifts, and can begin dive operations immediately. The team operates and trains under the premise of “Rapid Deployment Search and Recovery”. They are certified and trained in both shore and boat based operations in static and tidal water. All of the equipment is staged on Middletown Rescue 1 to facilitate rapid deployment capability.
The services of the team extend beyond the City of Middletown to the communities of Cromwell, Portland, and East Hampton where we train concurrently with the respective Fire Departments. The team also also provides ancillary services to the Middletown Police Department Dive Team and train annually with them.
The team operates interchangeably with the Portland Fire Department. The operating procedures mirror each other and the dive equipment does the same. They are used as a mutual aid component and add to the service we provide to our community. Because of this interoperability we have never failed to launch an operation andoperatewithin the strict safety guidelines that govern the Dive Rescue Industry.
Department divers hold three certifications for open water dives, specialty diver, dry suit and public safety diver. This training includes 70 hours of both academic and practical instruction. The final certification, Public Safety Diver is a rigorous program that is both mentally and physically challenging. This program equips our divers with the skills to operate in a black water environment and mitigate thru underwater emergencies that they may encounter (entanglement hazards, equipment failure, out of air emergencies).
These skills are reinforced annually with each diver completing a minimum of 32 hours of training.
Another important part of our dive team is the dive tenders. This critical position is responsible for site management; witness interviewing; scene profiling; diver turnout; and most of all the safety and well being of our divers after they have been deployed. They control and track the divers search pattern to ensure that a grid is secured. Certification to this position requires completing a 36 hour Public Safety Diver course ending with certification as a tender. The tenders are required to attend 32 hours of training annually. Our team is augmented by the Middletown Fire Department Marine Unit. The operational coordination of these two teams is critical for the success of our mission. The Marine unit establishes the working platform from which we operate during large area operations. These operations are complex and require a high level of skill on the part of the boat handlers.
A minimum of 5 team members is required to initiate an operation. This is comprised of 3 divers, (primary diver, safety diver, and a 90% diver) and 2 tenders. Our average time to deploy into the water is 4 minutes after arrival at the scene. We operate in the “rescue mode” for 1hr and 15min from the time of call (longer in cold water). Once this time frame has expired, the operation transitions to a “recovery” and the Middletown Police Department assumes the lead. Our divers will continue to assist them. This transition is seamless and well coordinated to respect the victim and family.
Over the next year we will be replacing old technology underwater communications equipment with more modern state of the art equipment. This past year we are proud to become one of the first teams in the country to utilize the new Halcyon Public Safety Diver Buoyancy Compensators. This piece of equipment, along with our new communication assets has made our operations much safer and more efficient.
The team is activated by the Battalion Chief’s and is fully capable of any dive rescue operation they are confronted with. It is a well trained team and are always upgrading procedures and equipment which enhance their operations. If you have any questions regarding this team you can contact Chief Gary Ouellette or one of the team leaders, Battalion Chief Dave Anderson or Lieutenant William Unikewicz at (860) 343-8004. We again thank our City’s administration and citizen’s for providing us with the tools necessary to provide these services.
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