Diving First Aid for Professional Divers

DAN Training and Education
Diving First Aid for Professional Divers

Introduction

The DAN Diving First Aid for Professional Divers course represents training specifically designed for divers who dive as part of their job duties. It is not appropriate or designed for recreational divers. Students for this course must have an affiliation with an aquarium, commercial diving company or scientific diving operation.

The program includes the three required elements of the DEMP course (Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries, AEDs for Scuba Diving and First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries), along with workplace CPR and first aid, based on guidelines provided by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration on what that organization believes should be included in a work-place CPR and first aid course.

Since first aid skills deteriorate with time, retraining in this program is required every two years following successful completion of the course – although some local protocols and regulations require more frequent retraining. In addition, divers are encouraged to practice these and other diving skills regularly. All skills performed in an emergency should be within the scope of your training and experience.

Course Overview

Objectives
The objective of first aid is to establish and/or maintain the life of an injured or ill person until assistance (generally, emergency medical services — EMS) arrives or becomes available at the scene.

It is equally important that the rescuer do no further harm to the injured person. Providing oxygen to an injured diver, for example, will not cause any harm as long as the scene is safe and the oxygen equipment is functioning properly. This means that you must understand the limitations of your skills and knowledge and not attempt any procedure beyond your ability and the scope of your training.

Recommended Minimum Hours of Training
Knowledge and skills development = 2 days

Certification Duration
This program comes with a two-year certification.

Skill Performance Objectives
Knowledge and Skill development topics in this program include:

Scene Safety Assessment
Initial Assessment
Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
Using an AED
Choking
Control of Bleeding
Bandaging/Splinting
Oxygen Equipment Identification
Using a DAN Demand Valve
Delivering Oxygen with a non-rebreather mask
Delivering oxygen as part of CPR using a DAN mask
Oxygen Equipment Assembly and Disassembly
Shock Management
Secondary Assessment
Management of wounds from hazardous marine life
Pressure Immobilization technique
Poisonings (discussion topic)
Burns (discussion topic)
Emergency Moves
Temperature Extremes (discussion topic)
Medical Emergencies (discussion topic)

Epcot® DiveQuest

Prepare for a totally unique diving experience! The Living Seas features a 6-million-gallon indoor aquarium with more than 65 species of marine life, including sharks, huge sea turtles, playful eagle rays, and schools of colorful tropical fish. With guaranteed calm seas, no current, and unlimited visibility, your quest for the dive of a lifetime ends here.

Duration: 3 hours with the in-water experience lasting 40 minutes.

Cost: $140 per guest (includes all gear, a limited-edition T-shirt, and certificate)

Additional Information

Theme Park admission is neither required nor included for this event.

Guests ages 10 and up are welcome to participate and must have a SCUBA certification. Guests between 10 and 14 must to be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. Younger guests will need Junior SCUBA certifications.

All required equipment is provided, including mask, fins, tank, buoyancy compensator, regulator, weightbelt, and a 2.5mm shorty wetsuit. (You may bring your own mask, if preferred.)

Comfortable changing rooms with showers are provided, but be sure to bring your own swimsuit.

Call 407-WDW-TOUR for reservations and information.

Please do not bring cameras of any kind. However, other members of your party may be able to photograph or video parts of your dive from the observation windows in the pavilion.

TIPS and FUN FACTS

Every creature in The Living Seas is a protected species.

Aquarium water temperature is in the mid-70s.

Swimming with the Manatees

Today, Sunday, November 12, 2006, we went swimming with the manatees. It was so amazing. It was better than I could have imagined. They are such gentle creatures. They just chill and hang out with you. However, one pooped on my head when I was petting his belly. It was pretty nasty and my mom was laughing so hard. I took it as good luck. Don't some cultures think it is good luck to be pooped on by a bird, I think it must be even better luck to be pooped on my a large marine mammal. (That's me (Heather with the green fins swimming with the manatees.) And the other snorkler is Tracey.

Post by Heather Arthur

DAN Takes Another Giant Stride in the New Year

Next edition of popular annual DAN publication due in early 2007. Limited advertising opportunities still available.

Divers Alert Network (DAN) will launch a new edition of Giant Stride, the organization’s publication aimed at prospective, student, and new divers, in early 2007. Redesigned to be part of “DAN Is My Buddy,” a revitalized Student Member Program spotlighted at DEMA earlier this month, Giant Stride introduces new divers to the sport through information, stories, and safety tips.

Each student enrolled in DAN’s Student Membership Program will receive a complimentary copy of Giant Stride. The publication is also available for distribution to all dive centers and instructors at no cost.

“The reaction to the first edition of Giant Stride so far exceeded our expectations that we wanted to include it as part of the retooled Student Membership Program,” says Jim Gaston, the team leader of “DAN Is My Buddy” and manager of the Student Membership Program. “I think its value lies in the fact that Giant Stride is a resource for both instructors and students. We’re excited to introduce its redesign as part of DAN Is My Buddy.”

The magazine covers such topics as an introduction to scuba, what to expect during training, resources at a diver’s disposal, dive safety and etiquette, profiles on divers who have made the sport their careers or hobbies and common medical issues of interest to new divers.

Giant Stride is scheduled to be published once a year and is distributed throughout the dive industry. Advertising opportunities are available through Nov. 30; should you wish to place an ad, contact Julie Clarke or Brittny Davis at (919) 684-2948.

Divers Alert Network (DAN) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit medical and research organization dedicated to the safety and health of recreational scuba divers. DAN’s Student Membership Program is a free program offered to all entry-level divers and includes $20,000 of recompression treatment insurance in the unlikely event a student develops decompression illness during the course of their training.

The Student Membership Program is open to all entry-level divers, and any certified scuba instructor in the DAN Americas region may enroll their students. A new DAN Is My Buddy DVD is available to all instructors for use in their classes; new divers can take home a student version of the DVD. A new interactive website, www.danismybuddy.com, was created to answer questions and concerns commonly expressed by new divers and to provide excitement and information when a new diver wants it most.

For more information or to request materials, please call (919) 684-2948.

Free DAN Online Seminar Discusses Diabetes and Diving

For years, divers have been diving with diabetes – safely – even though it was considered a contraindication to diving. In May of 2005 the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and DAN jointly sponsored a workshop on the topic. Co-organizers of the workshop were Guy deL Dear, MB, FRCA; Neal W. Pollock, PhD; and Donna M. Uguccioni, MS.

As dive leaders, and divers interested in diving safety, you are probably interested to learn about the outcome of that workshop. Now you can by viewing the newest DAN Online Seminar called Diabetes and Recreational Diving: History and New Guidelines. It includes useful background information and a summary of the consensus guidelines developed through the workshop. It is based on a presentation written by Neal W. Pollock, Ph.D. He is a research physiologist at the Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Medicine, Duke University Medical Center and a member of the Research Department at DAN.

This is the fourth DAN Online Seminar on diving medicine topics. The first three programs were:

Ears and Diving Seminar by Dr. Frans Cronje president of DAN Southern Africa

Pathophysiology of Decompression Illness by Dr. Richard Moon, Senior Medical Consultant to DAN

Inert Gas Exchange, Bubbles, and Decompression Theory by Dr. Richard Vann, Vice President of Research at DAN

The other three online seminars cost $25 to view. Participants also receive a certificate directly from DAN for successfully completing one of the fee-based seminars.

Thank you for your support of DAN and dive safety. Please do not hesitate to send us any questions or comments.

Safe diving,

Eric Douglas
Director of Training
Divers Alert Network

Dive Accident First Aid for Nondivers

Dive Accident First Aid for Nondivers

Purpose

Educate non-diving spouses and bubble watchers about the signs and symptoms of dive emergencies and how to respond to them.

Focus

This program removes much of the “why” information. This information is important for divers to know and understand, but less so for spouses or non-diving interested parties. This program simply focuses on the things to look for and what to do about it when they appear.

Materials for this program consist of:

􀂃 A student handbook
o A single composite video on DVD included with the student handbook for homestudy or later review

􀂃 Instructor guide outline
o The skills sections of this course will focus more on role play with new scenarios to be focused on the unique perspective of the non-diver.

This program will answer three basic questions:
􀂃 What do I look for?
􀂃 What do I do when I see it?
􀂃 What do I use to provide care?

This program will include the skills from:
􀂃 Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for Scuba Diving
􀂃 Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries
􀂃 First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries

While the skills from Advanced Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries and Remote Emergency Medical Oxygen (REMO2™) are useful, they are of limited application in an entry-level basic course for non-divers. If non-divers are interested, they can take those additional diver-level programs based on the information imparted from this basic program. That information and those skills are not included in this program to avoid complicating or intimidating the non-diver providers.

General Outline

􀂃 If you see signs and symptoms of DCI, provide oxygen with a Demand Valve or Non-rebreather mask.
􀂃 If the diver isn’t breathing, initiate rescue breathing with supplemental oxygen.
􀂃 If there are no signs of circulation, begin CPR with supplemental oxygen and use the AED.
􀂃 If the diver has an envenomation…
􀂃 If the diver has an abrasion…
􀂃 If the diver has a bite…

Dive Accident First Aid for Nondivers

Instructor Credentials

Requirements

• Current, active status DAN Instructor or Instructor Trainer

Certified to teach

• Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries
• First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries
• Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for Scuba Diving

Note to Instructor Trainers: There is no additional training or certification required for the Nondiver Provider Program. Any Instructor certified to offer the individual DAN Training Programs can offer this program. After certifying Instructor Candidates to conduct each of these training programs independently, orient them to the Non-diver Provider Program.

Student prerequisites

• Required current certification in CPR. Basic life support skills must be completed satisfactorily.

Program Organization

• Follow the program outline, showing the video segments for each segment and then conduct skills for each segment

o Or

• Have the non-diver provider candidate view the DVD at home and then come to class ready to participate in skills.
• Conduct the skills session for each program session as outlined.
o Skills sessions cover the skills new to each course section.
o Use the Skills pages from the DAN Instructor Manual as outlined.
o Have the students follow along in the Nondiver Provider Manual.
• Administer the student examination at the end of the program.
o Use the answer keys included with this guide.

Recognition Materials

• Use the Nondiver Provider Student Handbook with integrated successful completion card

DAN Provider Registration

To register a DAN Non-diver Provider, the DAN Instructor must submit to DAN Training a signed and completed Course Roster. Course Rosters must be submitted to DAN Training within 10 business days of the course. Course Rosters may be submitted one of four methods.

Mail to: DAN Training, 6 West Colony Place, Durham, NC 27705 USA
Fax to: DAN Training, + 1-919-490-6630
Electronic mail (e-mail): oxygen@diversalertnetwork.org
Online form at in the Instructors Only section of the website

With electronic mail, it is recommended that you request a receipt from your mail server. DAN Training will send the DAN Instructor an electronic confirmation of receipt of the electronic Course Roster.

Instructors should maintain all Student Registration Forms, Statements of Understanding, Practical Evaluation Records and Examination Answer Sheets as part of their class records along with any Administrative paperwork required by the Training Association with which the DAN Instructor is affiliated.

Providers may send Course Evaluations directly to DAN Training, or the DAN Instructor may collect them from course participants and forward them with the Course Roster to DAN Training.

Recertification

This certification expires after 24 months from the date of completion.

Course Outline

Introduction

• Explain the purpose of this program and the general approach.
• Either show the video segment or, if the students have viewed the video at home, conduct the skills sessions as outlined below.

AEDs for Scuba Diving

Knowledge Development

Skills
(skills pages available on 3-4 through 3-13 from the skills guide of the AED Instructor Manual)

• SAFE
• Initial Assessment with Basic Life Support
• CPR Review
• Providing Care with an AED

Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries

Knowledge Development

Skills
(skills pages available on 3-10 through 3-15 from the skills guide of the Instructor Manual)

• Equipment Identification
• Demand Valve
• Non-rebreather mask

First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries

Knowledge Development

Skills
(skills pages available on 3-12 through 3-19 from the skills guide of the HMLI Instructor Manual)

• Control Bleeding
• Shock Management
• Wound Management
• Pressure Immobilization Technique

Final Discussion

Follow Up

• Remediate skills or examinations as necessary.
• Issue student recognition materials to successful candidates of the Dive Accident First Aid for Nondivers Program.
• Remind students complete retraining is required within 24 months.

Diving Emergency Specialist

Diving Emergency Specialist

PROVIDER APPLICATION

A RECOGNITION PROGRAM FROM DAN

Sign up for the DES QUEST! Qualify June 1 - Dec. 31 • See www.DiversAlertNetwork.org
DAN believes safe divers are those who continue to seek out training and improve their skills. By continuing to learn about dive safety and the care of injured divers, you have obtained a truly unique status.

To receive your Diving Emergency Specialist recognition from DAN, please submit to DAN Training a completed copy of this application, along with photocopies of current certifications for the following:

(check off)
� ❏ Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries (or equivalent)
� ❏ Current CPR and First Aid ratings
� ❏ Rescue Diver certification
� ❏ Application fee of $20

and Three of the following
� ❏ Advanced Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries (or equivalent)
� ❏ First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries (or equivalent)
� ❏ Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for Scuba Diving (or equivalent)
� ❏ On-Site Neurological Assessment for Divers (or equivalent)
� ❏ DAN REMO2 TM
� ❏ OR a current DAN Diving Emergency Management Provider certification, which includes Advanced Oxygen

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name _________________________________________________
DAN Member #__________________
Address__________________________________________ City_______________________________
State/Province _________________ Zip/Postal Code______________ Country_______________
Contact Phone ______________________________ Email __________________________________
Shirt Size: ❏ M ❏ L ❏ XL ❏ 2XL

PAYMENT INFORMATION

❏ Check — Payable to DAN in U.S. dollars and drawn on a U.S. Bank
❏ MasterCard ❏ VISA ❏ American Express ❏ Discover
Card Number (13-16 numbers) ______________________________ Exp. Date_________________
Cardholder Name _____________________________________________________________________
Signature ___________________________________________________________________________

TRAINER INFORMATION

DAN Instructor _________________
Dive center affiliation (if any)___________ Instructor Name _________________________
Name to be entered in drawing (individual instructor or dive center) ____________________
* For pro drawing only; individual divers are automatically entered.

Mail the completed form to: DAN Training, 6 West Colony Place, Durham, NC 27705
or fax it to: +1-919-490-6630 or email: oxygen@DiversAlertNetwork.org

DAN Training and Education

DAN Training and Education
DAN Examiner Program

Historically only DAN Staff has been able to conduct DAN Instructor Trainer Workshops, but in an effort to meet the growing demand for ITWs, DAN has developed the Examiner program.

Responsibilities
DAN Examiners will provide a vital link to DAN Training and have additional responsibilities above that of an Instructor Trainer. Some of those additional responsibilities include:

Conduct ITWs
Conduct Trainer Updates
Beta test new DAN courses
Be part of a pool of speakers for the “This is DAN” presentation

Eligibility
Applicants to the DAN Examiner program must complete all eligibility requirements prior to consideration to attend the course.

Course Director or Instructor Trainer with recognized scuba training organization
DAN Diving Emergency Specialist Trainer recognition
CPR Instructor Trainer with recognized organization
No verifiable quality assurance issues as a DAN Trainer or Instructor within the previous two years
Completed the required DAN Trainer Update 2006
Completed Core Online (Must have completed after last revision in November 2005)

Examiner Course Fee
The fee is $295 and includes the course and all materials.

Selection Criteria
DAN Training will evaluate applicants on a number of criteria in addition to the application itself.

DAN Business Member affiliations
DAN Training Center affiliations
Length of time as a DAN Instructor
Length of time as DAN Instructor Trainer
Number of providers certified
Number of instructors certified
Previous participation in DAN Training Updates
Marketing Plan
References
Overall presence and understanding of DAN, DAN Mission and DAN Training
Other support of DAN, such as but not limited to:
Attendance of a DAN DMT course
Referral or On Call physician
Hosted DAN Research Intern
Attend or staff DAN Diver Days
Participation in Online Seminars (such as Ears and Diving)
Participation in DAN Research Studies

Annual Teaching Requirements
DAN Examiners will be expected to maintain an active role and will have annual requirements which must be met to retain current status as a DAN Examiner. Examiners will need to teach five new DAN Instructor Trainers each year or teach 20 individual ITW Modules. An example of an ITW Module would be a DAN Instructor Trainer taking additional courses. Advanced Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries and On-Site Neurological Assessment for Divers would be two ITW Modules. Finally, Examiners will need to participate in regularly scheduled online chat sessions facilitated by DAN Training.

Examiner Course Syllabus
The Examiner Course will consist of three and a half days and be conducted before and during an Instructor Trainer Workshop.

Day One — Examiner Course
History of DAN—This is DAN discussion
Recent changes to any DAN Training standards
Paperwork and Materials including a discussion of different administrative issues
How to order ITW materials
Political Sensitivities
Role-model teaching presentations and evaluations
How to conduct the ITW
Day Two, Three and Four — Audit and participate in Instructor Trainer Workshop conducted by DAN Training Staff

Download Examiner Course Application (PDF: 90 KB) on the DAN website

For additional information, please contact DAN Training at 919-684-2948 or 1-800-446-2671 x555. You may also contact us by email at Oxygen@DiversAlertNetwork.org.

Important International Freediving Challenge Set

USA Freediving to Challenge Japan Freediving in Competition November 16.

The United States Apnea Association, USAA, has been asked by Asahi Television to field a team of US Freediving athletes to compete head to head with athletes from Japan in Tokyo, Japan to be aired by the network on November 16. Four male and one female athlete will compete in the discipline of Dynamic No Fins, DNF.

DNF is a challenge to swim as far as the athlete can on a single breath for distance in a pool without the aid of fins. The athletes use breaststroke while staying submerged throughout their performance. At the conclusion of their performance the athlete must surface and compete a surface protocol to show they are in control of their performance. The surface protocol must be completed in the first fifteen seconds after the athlete surfaces. The athlete is required to remove their facial equipment, signal okay and say, “I am okay.” within those fifteen seconds. AIDA Judges will be present to validate all performances.

US athletes will represent their country and US Freediving while competing head to head with their Japanese counterparts. Glen Garrett (Wy), Kevin Busscher (Hi), Deron Verbeck (Hi), Brett LaMaster (Hi), and Julie “Jewels” Russell (Az) will be traveling with Linden Wolbert and Grant W. Graves. Grant and Linden will be support staff for the event. Glen is the current US National Record holder in this discipline, Julie is the current US Record holder in Constant Weight No Fins, and Brett is the former world record and current US National record holder in Constant Weight. Kevin is the former US National record holder in this discipline. Deron is the current US National record holder in Free Immersion.

The US group departed November 12 traveling to Tokyo. Training begins on November 13. The competition will be on November 16. Brett LaMaster remarked, “This is incredible to be able to travel to Japan to compete against our friends in Japan and represent the US and US Freediving. They have some really good athletes, this is going to be a good competition.”

The USAA is a nonprofit association founded on the democratic representation of freediving within the United States and internationally. Founded in 2003, the USAA consists of an active membership dedicated to furthering freediving in the United States and abroad. For more information about the USAA, the U.S. National Freediving Competition, and membership please visit www.usfreediving.org.

The International Association for the Development of Freediving, AIDA, is the international sanctioning body for freediving, individual and team competition, and freediving world record attempts.

For more information about AIDA please visit http://www.aida-international.org

PADI and DAN Join Together in Diver Safety

Two leading dive organizations issue important joint announcement during DEMA Trade Show in Orlando.

Orlando, FL – 14 November 2006 – When two industry leaders join forces, something great is bound to transpire. At the PADI Member Social kicking off the DEMA Show 2006 in Orlando, Florida, USA, the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI) announced a new alliance with Divers Alert Network (DAN).
Joining together in the interest of increasing safety for all divers, the collaboration brings together the complimentary elements of PADI’s expertise in training and education, and DAN’s expertise in emergency assistance, insurance, medicine, research and dive safety training. As of 31 December 2006, the PADI-endorsed Diver Protection and Student Protection programs will be discontinued, and on 1 January 2007, DAN will be PADI’s preferred provider of dive accident insurance. PADI will also encourage the use of DAN’s Student Membership Program and actively support DAN’s Recompression Chamber Assistance Program.

“The alliance between PADI and DAN is a shining example of how industry organizations working together can benefit all divers,” commented Drew Richardson, President and Chief Operating Officer of PADI Worldwide. “PADI focuses on the core competencies of excellence in training and diver education, while providing PADI Members access to DAN's world renowned diver safety programs.”

The alliance between PADI and DAN represents two of the most recognized brands in the diving industry bringing their respective strengths together to create a stronger network for all divers to utilize. Between DAN and PADI, divers have access to every level of dive training from entry- through professional-level, a comprehensive dive accident insurance program, dive safety training, information and safety resources, and 24-hour emergency assistance. The value of dive accident insurance is well-known throughout the industry, and it benefits all to encourage every diver to carry it. At no cost to the student or instructor, the DAN Student Membership program provides an excellent risk management tool for every dive professional and operation, as it offers an extra level of protection to the students they teach, the importance of which is addressed throughout PADI’s professional-level training.

PADI’s support of DAN’s Recompression Chamber Assistance Program (RCAP) comes from an understanding of the importance of ensuring the proper care and treatment of injured divers. Established in 1993, RCAP was developed as a means to assist recompression chambers through technical and educational support, as well as equipment for facilities in remote locations.

It’s important to note that professional-level divers carrying liability insurance through Vicencia & Buckley are not affected by this change. PADI will continue to work closely with Vicencia & Buckley to offer PADI Professionals and Dive Operations comprehensive liability insurance.

Dan Orr, President and Chief Executive Officer of DAN adds, “PADI has always been a tremendous supporter of DAN, and this alliance represents the continuation of that support, as well as an unprecedented opportunity for us to further our mission. We are thrilled at the prospect of introducing so many divers to the resource DAN can be for them, and we look forward to welcoming into the fold all divers new to our organization and providing them the many benefits of DAN membership and insurance.”

PADI is the world’s largest recreational dive training, certification and membership organization. PADI Members (dive centers, resorts, educational facilities, instructors, assistant instructors and divemasters) issue nearly 1,000,000 certifications worldwide each year, making underwater exploration and adventure accessible to the public, while maintaining the highest industry standards for dive training, safety and customer service.

Divers Alert Network (DAN) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit medical and research organization dedicated to the safety and health of recreational scuba divers and is associated with Duke University Medical Center. Founded in 1980, DAN has served as a lifeline for the scuba industry by operating the only 24-hour diving emergency hotline, a lifesaving service for injured divers. Additionally, DAN operates a diving medical information hotline, conducts vital diving medical research, and develops and provides a number of first-aid and continuing education programs for everyone from beginning divers to medical professionals.