Public Safety Diving for Law Enforcement, Fire, and Search and Rescue
Mission-Focused Public Safety Diving & Training
Public Safety Diving (PSD) is an operational capability, not a recreational activity. Fire, Law Enforcement, and Search & Rescue dive operations are conducted in zero-visibility, contaminated water, confined spaces, and dynamic environments where risk is high and margins for error are low. These operations demand disciplined procedures, trained teams, and leadership grounded in experience.
I have been diving since 1989 and became a NAUI Instructor in 2017. I am a Public Safety Diver and Public Safety Diving (PSD) Instructor, with a training philosophy centered on dive safety through education. My focus is on helping agencies build dive teams that are safe, capable, and operationally effective. My staff comprises a team of active PSD Divers with hundreds of operations under their dive belts.
Training Philosophy: Dive Safety Through Education
Public safety dive incidents are prevented long before a diver enters the water. Training must prepare teams to operate under stress, in poor conditions, and with clear command and control.
Our instructional approach emphasizes:
Education-based decision-making
Clear roles, responsibilities, and accountability
Standardized procedures that work in zero visibility
Risk management at the diver, team, and command level
Divers are taught not just what to do, but why—so procedures hold up when visibility is zero, communication is limited, and task loading is high.
Agency-Focused PSD Training
Training is tailored specifically for Fire Departments, Law Enforcement agencies, and Search & Rescue teams, recognizing that each has different mission priorities, operational constraints, and command structures.
Instruction focuses on:
Mission planning and operational briefings
Diver and tender responsibilities
Team-based underwater operations
Equipment configuration, redundancy, and maintenance
Emergency procedures and contingency planning
Post-operation reviews and documentation
Training evolutions are realistic, repeatable, and designed to integrate with existing departmental policies and incident command systems where applicable.
Operational Readiness & Risk Management
Every PSD deployment is treated as an operation. Emphasis is placed on:
Pre-dive planning and hazard identification
Checklists and standardized procedures
Clear communication between divers, tenders, and supervisors
Conservative decision-making when conditions degrade
Decades of experience have reinforced that strong fundamentals—buoyancy control, equipment familiarity, situational awareness, and disciplined execution—are what keep public safety divers safe and effective.
Supporting Team Leaders & Command Staff
PSD training is designed not only for divers, but for supervisors and team leaders responsible for authorizing and overseeing dive operations. Education includes:
Understanding operational limitations
Recognizing when conditions exceed safe parameters
Managing personnel fatigue and task loading
Ensuring training and procedures align with real-world demands
The goal is to support command staff with training programs that reduce liability, improve safety, and enhance operational capability.
Professional Standards & Commitment
Our commitment is to help agencies develop PSD teams that are:
Well-trained and confident
Procedurally consistent
Safety-focused
Operationally effective
Through structured training, realistic scenarios, and education-driven decision-making, teams are better prepared to conduct underwater operations while minimizing unnecessary risk.
Credentials
Diving since 1989
NAUI Instructor since 2017
Public Safety Diver
Public Safety Diving (PSD) Instructor
Send us an email and we will connect to determine the needs of your department.
