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This team is comprised of 14 highly trained volunteers. As you will see, the team’s level of training speaks for itself. All of the members are certified to the Operations Level in Swift Water Rescue. This training involves land based, boat based, and in water personal contact rescue procedures. Having all members trained in swift water rescue was a necessity when we wanted to take the next step and offer our services to areas outside of Danville and Pittsylvania County. In the spring of 2008, our team met the requirements for becoming a regional response team for the Virginia Department of Emergency Management. This translates to our coverage area being extended to the entire state of Virginia and when large natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina strike, we may be called upon to respond.
The team also handles emergencies underwater as well as on top of the water. Thirteen of the 14 members of the team are certified divers. Of the 13, eight are Master Diver’s, one is a Dive Instructor, one an Assistant Instructor, and with the remaining three being advanced level divers. The Dive / Swift Water Rescue Team also have eight out of its 14 members certified as Underwater Criminal Investigators. This was an intense 40 hour training program which consisted of one full day of classroom and extensive in water practical instruction. This training adds many more tools to our toolbox as we are called upon numerous times each year to assist local law enforcement officials with evidence, body, and vehicles recoveries. In addition to assisting local law enforcement, the Dive / Swift Water Rescue Team works in close coordination with the Virginia State Police Dive Team.
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