Spring 2008 Public Safety Diving Courses

GALVESTON POLICE DEPARTMENT

DIVE ACADEMY

Spring 2008 Public Safety Diving Courses

Galveston, Texas May 30, 31, and June 1

Underwater Crime Scene

Small Object & Skeletal Remains Recovery

PREPAID advanced registration - $165.00 per person.
After May 23, 2008, registration will be $195.00.

REGISTRATION MUST BE IN GALVESTON BY MAY 27, 2008, FAX, MAIL OR EMAIL

These are stand alone courses.

Payment is required at the time of registration. Please make check or money order payable to: "Galveston PD Training Division" and return to 601 54th Street, Suite 200, Galveston, Texas 77552.

For more information or to RESERVE spots, call 409- 765-3642 or FAX Registration forms to 409-765- 3641.

Cancellation Policy

Cancellations received prior to 3 weeks before the start date of the class will receive a full refund. Cancellations received 8-14 days prior to class start date will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations received 0-7 days prior to class start date will not receive a refund.

Medical and Liability Release Forms

These forms MUST BE COMPLETED and submitted before students will be allowed to participate. The forms can be downloaded below or at GPD-DiveAcademy.

The forms may be submitted in advance or at the start of the course. The medical relese is a standard RSTC Medical Release. Participants are asked to fill out the questionaire. If any question is answered 'Yes' - a physician release is necessary. Medical conditions that require a physician release will disallow divers participating in the scuba exercises if a medical release is not presented PRIOR to the start of the programs*.

Prerequisites: Scuba participants MUST be a minimum of OW certified with a dive log showing no less than 15 dives.

Students MUST participate in all evolutions to qualify for certificate of completion and payment will NOT insure certificate.

Watermanship skills will be tested.

Participants must provide their own basic scuba gear. If necessary, some extra gear will be available but prearrangement will be required to insure you will have what you need. Please bring tanks and weights if you are driving. Air refills will be provided at no cost.

At least 2, rigged 13cf Pony bottles per team are REQUIRED. Pony bottles will be available at the facility at no charge BUT numbers are limited.

Underwater Crime Scene Specialties

The Underwater Crime Scene Specialties are designed to present a new aspect of Public Safety Diving to Fire, Police and SAR Dive Recovery Teams. These courses offer classroom lecture, theory, controlled pool work and real dive scene scenario training. Participants will be introduced to a variety of new skills and will be shown and allowed to practice, safety measures and techniques that will hopefully enhance their skillsand abilities.

Weapons and Body Recovery Course

Participants will gain classroom knowledge on basic evidence handling, terminology, safety issues, standards information and concepts of the job of a Public Safety Diver. Participants will practice those classroom skills to an acceptable level of proficiency in a clear water pool using blacked out masks and will gain real experience in methods of underwater search and recovery in the simulated zero visibility environments. During our scenario training, participants in the Weapons and Body Recovery Course will successfully perform a search and evidence recovery of at least one weapon and will successfully perform a body recovery. Participants will also be challenged with an underwater obstacle / confidence building course that will test their ability to handle a variety of stressors including entrapment problems and self rescue issues.

Each scenario will be a separate crime scene and the participants will be responsible for assessing the site, gathering intelligence, setting up the dive and recovering either a weapon or a body. Each team must complete the recovery and submit all documentation related to their task to successfully complete the course.

Small Evidence and Skeletal Remains

The Underwater Crime Scene, Small Evidence and Skeletal Remains course will focus on basic digital crime scene photography, fingerprint science, small object recovery and the recovery and handling of skeletal remains in a zero visibility environment.

Participants will be introduced to fingerprinting techniques, process fingerprints, and then photograph, document and process a top side crime scene. The fingerprint science portion of the seminar is not designed to teach divers to be fingerprint technicians. It is designed to teach them how fingerprints are deposited, where they are most likely found and knowing how fingerprints are processed and developed, students will learn how to best preserve fingerprints during underwater recoveries.

Participants will be introduced to the Lane Search Pattern and will practice skills in a controlled environment. Students will conduct dives in a safe environment to hone skills prior to open water diving.

Our scenarios are real. Students will be tasked with a crime scene and will use the skills and lessons learned to evaluate a dive scene. Students will preserve, protect and process an underwater crime scene in zero visibility. Safety, techniques, documentation and attention to detail will be challanged and tested.

Please email omnidive@gmail.com if you are interested or want additional information.