Under water rescue help

[LeeJunkins]

About 2.5 years ago I proposed a state certification program for auto extrication to the state certification board. The board recently adopted a program much different than what I purposed but still covers most of the objectives that I purposed. In studying their objectives for the technician level, I find one objective that we can not legally teach thus we can not certify anyone until that objective is met. The objective is under water rescue from a submerged vehicle, this is a dive rescue skill. I am going to the board to have this objective amended.

What I need is some help in putting together a list of the hazards and dangers of an unskilled rescuer performing this skill, which I can present to the board.

Any help would be greatly appreciated

[ADSNWFLD]

Underwater extrication is hard enough when practiced by a well trained diver.
The first is that you have to be a diver. Your tool set up is important because you can't muscle the tool under water. You need to provide some flotation for the tool. Our Amkus repair guy told us that the tool has to have a full service after being used under water. We did this with a Hurst unit in a drill some years ago and managed to contaminate the oil with water. So the tool had to be completly drained of oil and new stuff put in.
The car will leak oil and fuel so ppe selection is important. HazMat rated dry suit, dry gloves, FFM is needed.
You have entanglement dangers, sharp objects, chemical hazards. We usually pull the vehicle if extrication is needed. From my experience that is a rare situation.
I would be completely against non professional divers from doing this work, it is dangerous, and distructive to equipment. Again I would reserve this for technical operations, this doesn't belong in a extrication tech objective.

Let me know if you need anything more or have questions

Dave

[LeeJunkins]

Thanks Dave, I do not think it will be a problem to get it amended, but I want to be sure I have a good list of reasons for the amendment to propose to them.

[BladesRobinson]

As the Executive Director of the International Association of Dive Rescue Specialists, I do not mind going on record in opposition of training public safety personnel in the use heavy extrication equipment underwater. In nearly all cases it does not pass a "risk/benefit" analysis that should be performed prior to every dive operation.

If a victim is pinned inside a submerged vehicle, the preferred option is to remove the vehicle from the water prior to the deployment of extrication tools. Naturally there are exceptions to every rule, hence the reason why most teams have "standard operating guidelines."

If you need a statement on agency letterhead, please contact me at 800-IADRS-911 or at brobinson AT iadrs.org.

Blades Robinson
www.IADRS.org