Rescue Swimmer

Section 2 - Emergency Operations

PURPOSE:

To provide procedures for handling the rescue of victims from water rescue incidents.

DEFINITIONS

SURFACE WATER RESCUER – All MFRD personnel who have been trained in Surface Water Rescue. These personnel are certified to perform surface water rescue operations only; they are not permitted to dive below the water’s surface.
RESCUE SWIMMER – MFRD personnel trained and certified annually to the level of Rescue Swimmer and signed off by the MFRD Training Division to perform subsurface water rescue (may not exceed 12 feet in depth.)
RESCUE DIVER – OCFRD Technician Level Diver which holds a certification from a nationally recognized agency whose curricula meet the provisions of Chapter 13, Dive Rescue of NFPA 1006. (Ex. Public Safety Diver Certification.) Rescue Divers must be signed off by the OCFRD Training Section and meet annual recertification requirements to be considered operational. Rescue Divers operating for MFRD are the only approved personnel that may perform a search or rescue below 12ft of depth and utilize compressed gas cylinders.
LINE TENDER – MFRD personnel who have been trained by the Training Division to the level of Rescue Swimmer are capable of performing this function. A tag line tended by a line tender should be utilized for all water rescue operations.