Though “fire” is in its name, the Grenada Fire Department expanded its services two years ago to include underwater rescue.
The fire department took over operation of the dive team from the Grenada County Sheriff’s Office, which had overseen the dive team since the 1970s. When the GCSO led the dive team, the fire department owned all of the equipment with the sheriff’s office providing manpower. Now, the fire department is also responsible for staffing the team and its numbers have dwindled as firefighters have moved on to other departments.
GFD Training Chief Chris Whitehurst had a group of new trainees and certified divers at the Kiwanis Pool of Grenada last Thursday morning to test equipment and introduce new members to the diving experience. The equipment checks come as the team prepares for Saturday’s Southern Firecracker Triathlon at Grenada Lake.
“We’ll set up three boats with a diver and a driver on each boat,” Whitehurst said. “While they do their swim, if anyone gets in trouble, we’ll be available for rescue.”
On Thursday, Whitehurst, who is working to replenish the dive team’s numbers, was teaching basic operation of diving equipment, including the use of tanks and inflatable vests. He also offered trainees some precautions, reminding them to pop their ears as they descend and demonstrating how to purge water from the air regulator.
After an introduction to the equipment, divers practiced line tending. The line that attaches divers to their boats is a vital communication link for the team. Certain tugs on the line indicate different messages such as the need for more line or a call for the diver to surface.
The team receives its initial training at the Kiwanis Pool where the more contained environment allows divers to safely learn techniques and become accustomed to the experience of swimming with diving equipment and breathing underwater.
“Once people start getting a little more advanced, we’ll go out to the lake and start doing some more dark water stuff out there,” Whitehurst said. “When we dive out there, once you go under, you can’t see anything.”
The more experience the novice divers receive will help Whitehurst determine who his next certified divers with the department will be.
“I’ve got two certified guys out here that are divers for the dive team,” Whitehurst explained. “We’re trying to get all these new people comfortable with the equipment and comfortable in the water, so I can see which ones I need to get certified right now. Then, I’m going to try to send four or five more to get certified in a couple months.”
