Search and rescue technicians with 413 (Transport and Rescue) Squadron have been busy in recent weeks, familiarizing themselves with new-issue diving equipment.
14 Wing Greenwood’s SAR dive section recently acquired Interspiro Divator RS4 regulators and Divator Pro Buoyancy Compensator harnesses. Fully adjustable and more streamlined, with air hoses running alongside a now-inverted tank, the equipment now has “a cleaner, less snag-prone finish,” says dive section supervisor Sergeant James Baldry. Ground training supervisor Sergeant Darryn Wright-Ingle says the harness design is also much more comfortable to wear.
“When you’re under the water and you’re moving left and right, the equipment doesn’t slosh back and forth like a backpack anymore. It articulates as you move.”
While there is no minimum training required before the SAR-Techs can use the equipment operationally, familiarization with the new gear is important to ensure dives are conducted safely and effectively.
“Although we are trained rescue divers, the underwater environment can be quite dangerous and there is a need to master the equipment required,” says Baldry. “The new dive gear is somewhat similar, but there are some differences which the diver and dive supervisor need to be aware of.”
Fleet Diving Unit Atlantic provided a training package for the new regulator and harness, including a PowerPoint presentation, ground and pool familiarization exercises.
“Once those components are complete,” says Baldry, “the SAR-Tech is now qualified on the new gear and can dive it, in training or operation.”
During the pool portion of the training, SAR-Techs focused on emergency procedures and getting comfortable moving in and using the new gear.
“When you’re learning something, you want to do it in stages,” says Wright-Ingle. “We’ll first practice in a controlled environment, like a pool, where you can see, there are no obstacles and then, if something does go wrong, it’s easy to mitigate that risk.”
