ERDi Diver Level Course

Contact Hours: 2-4

• ERD I  
  
This entry level emergency response diving course is designed to give the public safety diver the fundamental skills needed to safely function as part of a public safety dive team and is OSHA and NFPA compliant. Topics such as problem solving, tender skills, search patterns and evidence handling are covered just to name a few. Dive skills include executing search patterns, victim recovery, emergency procedures and decontamination procedures among others. ERD I also serves as a prerequisite to ERD Ops Components courses.

• ERD II  
  
This ERDI course enables the public safety diver to develop detailed knowledge and advanced skills in emergency response diving. Among the topics covered are manner of death, physiological changes a submerged body undergoes, mechanics of drowning, handling of remains environmental issues, encapsulation, full face mask and drysuit use. As part of the certification requirements during the six dives, students will also master drysuit and full face mask skills.

ERDi Ops Component Courses

Contact Hours: 2-4

• ERD Drysuit OPS  
  
The ERD Drysuit OPS course is designed to develop the knowledge and skills that are necessary for drysuit diving operations in emergency response diving. In addition to the fundamental skills of drysuit diving, other important topics include encapsulation, contaminated environments, protecting potable water supplies and decontamination procedures. Drysuit OPS training is also part of the ERD II curriculum.
• ERD Full Face Mask OPS  
  
The ERD Full Face Mask course provides the skills and knowledge for the ERD diver to utilize full face masks for emergency response diving. While basic full face mask topics and skills are presented, other topics and skills include encapsulation, communications with a full face mask, selecting proper masks for emergency response diving and decontamination procedures. Full Face Mask OPS training is also part of the ERD II curriculum.
• ERD Ice Diving OPS  
  
Conducting emergency response operations in an overhead environment, such as ice diving, presents hazards and challenges to the ERD team not found in normal situations. Important topics and skills that are presented during this course include physiological aspects of cold-water diving, appropriate equipment for ice diving, surface support procedures as well as scene preparation and lost diver drills.
• ERD Ice/Surface Rescue OPS  
  
This non-diving ERD course will train and prepare rescue teams to properly respond and execute operations to retrieve victims who have broken through thin ice conditions. Subjects that are discussed in the classroom include ice characteristics and formation, types of victims both human and animal, team operations, equipment and rescue techniques. During the practical training portion, students will perform a variety of roles and master skills such as proper donning of protective gear, victim extrication and self rescue to name a few.
• ERD Tender  
  
The ERD Tender course trains team personnel to properly line tend and participate within the public safety dive team in a non-diving roll. ERD Tender is also part of the ERD I course curriculum so that an entire team can participate and train to their individual needs. Crime scene recognition, search patterns and decontamination procedures are some of the topics covered. In addition, ERD Tender students learn and master tending skills in both confined water and open water settings.
• ERD Contaminated Water Diver OPS  
  
The ERDI Diving in Contaminated Water Ops Component is one of the most challenging public safety diver training programs. Students must demonstrate proficiency of all contaminated water skills and techniques, a high level of awareness and a proper attitude prior to certification. Dives incorporate hazard recognition and handling, use of specialized equipment; helmets and surface supplied air delivery systems require additional training.