FAQs

(click on question to see the answer)

What should a Public Safety Diver look for in a buoyancy compensator? …

What type and size of line is best for ice and water operations? …

Can I use a rappelling harness for water/ice operations or diving? …

Do I want leg straps for my harness?…

Should I wear an octopus as a Public Safety Diver?…

Why do I need a contingency strap?…

We use full face masks, pony bottles, and blocks and dive in contaminated water. If our pony bottle runs out of air what can we do to access more air without removing our full face masks and exposing ourselves to contaminated water?…

Is there really a difference in total air consumption when using an AGA as opposed to a conventional regulator?…

I need an opinion on FFM comm systems. I initially thought to go with a hard wired rope system, due to needing a rope anyway on search patterns, then thought maybe a wireless would be better, because in a pinch, we could use any rope?…

What can I do if my AGA leaks?…

Is there a table with the descent rates for different objects (i.e. rifles, pistols, etc.)?…

How do you decide how wide to make each sweep in arc, dock walk, or other solo-tethered-tender-directed-diver patterns?…

Other than attention span, is there any reason to limit a zero-visibility search dive to 20-25 min. if conditions are good?…

When doing an arc pattern, what is the average goal of how long an arc sweep is? What is the angle of the arc?…

Can a team safely run a dive operation with four people?…

What is the Valsalva Maneuver…

What should you do if the water is deeper than 60 feet?…

Could you clarify the NFPA levels of duty? – Awareness, Operations, Technician…

Are there any major differences in procedures between an urban and a small rural team?…

I’ve been in lakes where the bottom is made up of feet of “pulpy” weed waste matter. Is it recommended to descend into this pulp layer to find solid bottom while searching?…

Once you rescue a victim as a public safety diver are you required to start CPR as your tender is pulling you to shore if there has only been a few minutes from arrival on scene to finding the victim?…