ALERT

Unit 43 Public Safety Diving Training

jtalley — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:20:15 +0000

This past week unit 43 went through the NAPD, SRD, (Search & Recovery Diving), training. They started in canals on Monday and practiced all the different search patterns along with actual training in an low visibility to no visibility environment.

Dive Master Mark Sowash (left) preparing to observer his two students, Nathan Mellas, and Connor Dual (right) in their search skills

It was great to see them all improve each day as they get more used to the public safety side apposed to the sport diving side. they all enjoyed it and progressed more and more each day. At the end of the week they had a chance to put their skills to the test and do a search for vehicles. They searched 2, lakes with a depth of 60′ and visibility of about 25′. found 2 vehicles 1 had been reported stolen in 2008.

Nathan Mcgrath (top) converses with his dive buddy, Jeremy Yoder as they practice a seach they must master to gain the title of a public safety diver

ERT Unit 43 Open & Advanced SCUBA Training

jtalley — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 21:20:23 +0000

The past week the aquatics dive masters and past aquatic graduates, (the dive instructors), taught Unit 43′s ERT open water and advanced open water SCUBA training. The week started Sunday night with class, the day we arrived, to the next morning they were in the water and doing the skills.

Jordan Harvel (Instructor for CETI Dive corp.) a graduate of ALERT Aquatics over see's the in water skills in the shallow end of the pool

With a class of 25 students and 7 Dive master/Instructors the week went well and everyone adapted quickly from class room teaching to in water practicals. each day the students would dive twice to get the appropriate amount of time underwater to be able to be certified.

Jed Backus shows his students the correct way to find their regulator incase of it being pulled or knocked out of there mouths

they all did extremely well with only a couple problem students the dive masters worked fast and quickly taught all the appropriate skills for open and advanced SCUBA, including underwater navigation, night diving and deep diving. the students all excelled each day to meet all the required skills. In hopes of making the required certifications to make it to a public safety diver this next week through NAPD.

NASE Instructor Conference

jtalley — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 16:21:47 +0000

The Aquatic Dive masters had the chance to participate in the first NASE Instructor conference at the NASE Worldwide head quarters starting Jul 30. We arrived in Ocala, FL on Thursday the 28, the following morning were treated to a tour of there facilities and were invited to dive in their narrow but deep blue hole. The visibility in the water was close to 50′ vertical and 72′ horizontal the water a dark blue color and a great diving experience.

The 40 fathom grotto

The instructor conference was all day Saturday the 30th and half day Sunday the 1st. During the conference they addressed the changes of NASE under its new management. We all had a wonderful time despite the extremely long drive.

In the beautiful blue waters of the grotto

Lift Specialist

jtalley — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 21:20:18 +0000

This past week was lift specialist taught through NAPD (National Academy of Police Diving) The class went well and they all passed there skills demonstration test. We practiced boat recoveries, car recoveries, and moving and positioning of underwater pipe lines.

Josh Thomson removing an air hose from the air bag so they can move the pipe to its desired location

Divers Colin Price (right) Josh Thomson (center) and Mark Sowash (left) inside there recovered boat

The boat was lifted in two stages, one just to get it close to the surface and off the bottom and the second to get the sides out of the water so we could start to bail water out of the boat so it would be independent of the lift bags.

The lifting pontoon holds all of our needed gear so it is a short swim to get what is needed nomatter the lift

This Pontoon contained all the gear needed to make a safe controlled lift of any vehicle, small boat, small aircraft, or anything needing to be lifted. It was easy to move and the swim to get more gear short and fast. plus we could lift it wile standing right next to the object, and keep an eye on the lifting process.

Body Recovery

jtalley — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 18:14:03 +0000

On Sunday July 18th The ALERT Dive team was called out to a search for a drowning victim. When we arrived we met up the the game wardens who were over seeing the search. The boat they had on scene could only take one diver. Colin Price was sent out with a crew of two game wardens, Colin when down on the lines they had dropped on high probable areas (about 5 or 6) and searched just around the buoy, and got information on, the temperature, bottom composition, and visibility. Finding nothing waited until a second boat was brought on scene and the rest of the team, Mark Sowash, Josh Thomson, and Joel Talley, loaded all there gear and went out to assist him. When they arrived, they imitatively dropped down and began to search the areas. After covering approximately 1,884 square feet, and had yet to come up with a body, we waited for the first boat that was equipped with side scan to search for more high probable areas. After covering an area equivalent to four football fields or 180,000 square feet, dusk was long over. calling off the search for then night. We are confident that the victim was not in the area covered by our divers.
Some might say that we failed, or did not succeed, but that is not how search and recovery is conducted, we did our job to the best of our abilities and we knew exactly were he was not.

(Left to Right)
Colin Price, Joel Talley, Mark Sowash, and Josh Thomson

Agency’s involved: Texas Parks and Wildlife Department , Whitehouse FD, Smith County Sheriff’s Office.

We are glad to report that they did find the victim later the next day.

Marina Diver

jtalley — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 15:12:38 +0000

Aquatics 2 has started off good. starting June 28th we had several classes on campus. the first week was dive experience, and following week was equipment specialist run by NAPD (National Acadamy of Police Diving)

This past week July 12th through the 16th we had Marina Diver held in Louisiana. We road tripped down Monday morning and started class that night. The following day we went out the Lake Pontchartrain to the 24 Mile long bridge and did pile-on inspections.

between the 24 Mi long bridge

We each inspected several Pile-ons to get a handle on what the work is like.

Mark Sowash swimming to the bridge Pile-on to conduct and inspection

We clean a fishing boat, a pontoon, and a yacht. All in bad shape and had not been kept up, so the work was longer then usual.

Josh Thomson (far left) Colin Price (middle) and Mark Sowash, in front of the 40 ft yacht they cleaned Thursday July 15th 2010

They all did well and all passed there practical skills with flying colors.

Advance Boat Handling Skills

jtalley — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:00:48 +0000

The end of equipment specialist we had an opportunity to take out out the hurricane, our rescue boat, a ridged hull inflatable swift water rescue, small coast guard boarding craft. we practiced maneuvering with limited room, insertion and extraction from hazardous areas, quick deployment of divers, and controlled turns at high speeds.

Mark Sowash (driving) Colin Price (right) Josh Thomson (left) ready for a quick insertion/extraction from a hazerdous area

A shot from the side of the boat at top acceleration

Week 9

Caleb Carr — Tue, 18 May 2010 21:45:54 +0000

Echo 2^nd practices a skill demonstration for promotion day. From left to right Recruit Jonathan Shung, Josiah Sullivan, James McDonald, Jacob Goins, Timothy Ryden, Arie Kraayenbrink, and Connor Dahl.

Recruits Nathan McGrath and Thomas Dewar of Bravo 1^st rappel down the ALERT rappelling tower during preparation for promotion day.

Delta and Foxtot 2^ndpractice patient packaging.

Second Platoon practices Drill and Ceremony.

Second Platoon, led by Drill Instructor Timothy Falkenstine.

Basic Responder Challenge

Caleb Carr — Thu, 13 May 2010 23:44:49 +0000

Recruit Nathaniel Hardy throws a javelin during the Recruit Olympics, on the first day of the BRC (Basic Responder Challenge).

The BRC is a three-day event, during which the men of Unit 43 will be tested on the skills that they have learned during Basic Training as well as character, endurance, and teamwork.

Recruit George Rutler of Team Victor, prepares to hurl a shot put during the Recruit Olympics.

Unit 43 takes part in an old tradition of Basic Training, Dog Sled races.

For this three day event the men if Unit 43 have been divided into four teams, Tango, Victor, X-Ray, and Zulu. At the end of the BRC the winning team will receive the Team Excellence Ribbon.

Recruits William Schrammen, Jacob Goins, Thomas Dewar, and Graydon Philips of Team Victor, attempt to win the Tug-o-war competition.

Team Tango from Right to Left, Michael Miller, Elijah Lloyd, Nathan Mellas, Samuel Little, Evan Weddle, and Michael Hall.

Search for Stolen Safe May 13, 2010

jtalley — Thu, 13 May 2010 16:42:51 +0000

On May 13th 2010, the Gilmer Police Dept, Called the ALERT Dive Team to search for a Stolen safe.

The river that was reported to have the safe

The ALERT Dive Team arrived on scene Friday morning at 930 and began to search. Because of zero visibility and shallow depths the search was difficult and longer than expected. Another factor that slowed the search was the amount of garbage found in the river.

A Small Safe Recovered by Brandon Sprunger

Items found were, one computer screen, a car bumper, two motor cycle exhaust pipes, a weed eater, four news paper machines, a candy machine, two fishing pols, a washer, an oven, a refrigerator, a dolly, two safes, a safe door, a machete, and two rifles.

Mark Sowash holding the door to the first recovered safe

The Second safe Recovered by Collier McGhee

Neither of the safes were reported stolen and the guns, including one .22 caliber and one 12 gauge shot gun, both came back clean when there VIN numbers were ran on the sheriffs and police’s data base.

Collin price swims the shot gun to shore for more investigation

The reported Safe was never found,

Divers on scene, Mark Sowash, Collin Price, Collier McGhee, Brandon Sprunger, Benjamin Stoner, and Micah Justice. Tenders, Jedediah Backus and Caleb Hard. Dive Team Coordinator, Capt. Joel Talley. Assistant Coordinator, Casey Zachry. Photographer, Josh Thomson.

Other agency’s involved, Gilmer Police department, Gladewater Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office.