Recent quotes by military experts:
“Sub-surface mines and other ordnance has continually proved to be one of the most effective modes of controlling waterways and demobilizing water-borne military forces. Unmanned and unmonitored, they are incredibly efficient.”
“The magnitude of the number of units in the water today would overwhelm the ability of the Navy.”
“You do not know when the next one will show up nor the magnitude of damage.”
“Level of threat is unknown. Based on history, the potential is extremely real.”

Lifeguard Systems Instructors Walt “Butch” Hendrick, Lt. (Navy Retired) David Holland, Sgt. Cameron Jones, Andrea Zaferes, Ken Balfrey, and others have been working on the creation of an anti-terrorist diving program for almost a year. Because of the recent tragedies and because of information presented at the International Police Diving Symposium September 2001 by Lieutenant-Commander Christopher Deere (Commanding Officer Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic, near Halifax), the completion of the program was expedited. STAT, Subsurface Technical Anti-Terrorist Training is now complete.
STAT is a recognition program to train law enforcement, fire, and other dive teams how to search their districts’ subsurface areas for possible sabotage, explosive ordnance, and other items that do not belong. Students will learn how to search for, recognize, and document these items so that certified clearance divers and fully qualified Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) technicians can then go in to confirm the item is a terrorist device, and then: render it safe and recover the device to be exploited for intel purposes, or when necessary destroy the item in place.

Police and Fire dive teams, are sometimes called in to search bridge, boat, and other water areas during important events, such as large ship festivals or the arrival of an important person, to check for potential terrorism. The frequency of such requests are on the rise, especially with the increase in bomb threat calls. The need for dive teams that are trained to conduct these operations has greatly magnified due to the recent events.
STAT can be conducted either as a ten-day program or as a three part program consisting of three 3 ½-day parts. If students already have a Lifeguard Systems Phase 2 certification (i.e. Rapid Deployment Search and Rescue/Recovery, Ice Diving SAR Operations, Underwater Investigations) then Part I is reduced to one day from the 3 ½ days.

Please contact Lifeguard Systems for more information and a course outline.

All programs can be customized to meet the exact needs of the hosting department.

STAT – Subsurface Technical Anti-Terrorist Training For Fire, police, and other dive teams

Instructors: There will be at least two of the following instructors at every course, Hendrick, Holland, Jones, Zaferes, with additional instructors as dictated by class size.