Trainer Programs

Successful completion of the Boat Based Operations Trainer (BBOT) program provides the Instructor with skills required to improve the students' ability to safely navigate department watercraft in the support of divers, water rescue and search operations.  Instructors will become more familiar with types of boats, boating language, anchor types and principles, search patterns and accident scene evaluation.  Instructors will have hand-on practice with basic boat handling. Obtaining the BBOT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Boat Based Operations program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

Successful completion of the Critical Skills Diver Trainer (CSDT) program provides the Instructor with skills required to improve the divers' ability to react to stress survival responses, and prevent panic when diving. The instructor will learn to use repetition in training as a means to improve in-water confidence and competence.  This program introduces the process of managing stress and preventing panic in diving through muscle memory, stress survival responses, and stress inoculation drills. Obtaining the CSDT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Critical Skills Diver program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

Successful completion of the Current Diving Trainer (CDT) program provides the Instructor with skills required to improve the students' ability to safely complete complex, challenging and potentially dangerous current diving operations. Instructors will learn to teach their students how to use specialized equipment, anchoring and high line techniques as well as proven search protocols to prepare their teams for various potential current diving scenarios.  Obtaining the CDT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Current Diving program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

Successful completion of the Deep Dive Operations Trainer (DDOT) program provides the Instructor with skills required to train their divers to safely and confidently plan and conduct open circuit, no-deco scuba dives on air for water depths in the range of 60' to 130'. This program teaches various methods to maintain proper descent rate and orientation during descent, participation in cognitive function exercises to assess subtle presence of nitrogen narcosis, controlling buoyancy on ascents/descents and teaching divers planned ascent profiles so that all divers remain within the no stop limits. Obtaining the DDOT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Deep Dive Operations program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

The Dive Rescue 1 Trainer (DR1T) program is an intensive leadership and trainer course. It is designed to prepare the experienced scuba instructor to teach and maintain dive rescue certification for department personnel as Dive Rescue 1 Specialists. The DR1T will be introduced to a teaching system that addresses the special teaching techniques and educational needs of the emergency services adult learner. The program prepares instructors to be stimulating, confident, and competent.

Successful completion of the Diver Propulsion Vehicle Operator Trainer (DPVT) program provides the Instructor with the ability to train their divers to select, inspect, prepare, rig, safely operate and care for a Diver Propulsion Vehicle (DPV) in an appropriate open water environment. Obtaining the DPVT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Diver Propulsion Vehicle program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

Without the proper protection from your potentially hazardous diving environment, your rescue/recovery operation may be hindered or even worse, halted. One of the first steps to preparing for contaminated water or ice diving is learning how to dive in a dry suit.  The Dry Suit Diving Trainer program is conducted in a classroom, pool and an open-water site to allow students to practice their new skills in a controlled environment before the field scenarios.

The Underwater Evidence Recovery Operations Specialist is specially trained in more advanced search and recovery techniques. Students will learn how to deal with crime scenes and the difficult task of evidence preservation. This underwater evidence recovery training program introduces students to advanced search patterns, evidence collection, and crime scene equipment & management.

Successful completion of the Full Face Mask Trainer (FFMT) program provides the Instructor with skills required to improve the students' ability to select, inspect, prepare, don, and safely dive with a full face mask in an open water setting applicable to their jurisdiction e.g. contaminated waters. Instructors will be able to explain the purpose and benefits of full face mask diving as well as underwater communications (UWC). Obtaining the FFMT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Full Face Mask program in-house and to mutual-aid departments.

The Full Face Mask Trainer Certification (FFMT) is designed to extend the knowledge of current Public Safety Scuba Instructors (PSSI) and/or Dive Rescue I Trainers (DRIT). Successful candidates will return to their department with a complete training system to be used with the Full Mace Mask Student Kits purchased from Dive Rescue International. This program will allow the FFMT to teach Full Face Mask Diving (FFM) to in-house personnel at a minimal cost.

The Ice Diving Operations Trainer Program is uniquely designed for public safety personnel. This course presents ice diving operations training in a practical and efficient system, giving Trainers the tools to build a competent and safe team. Successful Ice Diving Operations Trainer graduates will return to their departments with a complete training system. With the purchase of student kits from Dive Rescue International, Trainers will be able to conduct in-house ice diving operations training for departmental personnel.

Prepare your department for surface ice rescues by sending a member of your staff to become a certified Dive Rescue International Ice Rescue Trainer. Graduates return to their departments with a complete training program for their agencies. By implementing the program outlined in Dive Rescue International’s Ice Rescue manual and using Ice Rescue Student Kits, Trainers are able to conduct in-house programs for all department personnel. The program also provides your agency with the flexibility to present the program at your convenience, offering you the option of integrating it into your agency’s work schedule.

Successful completion of the Light Salvage & Recovery Trainer (LSRT) program provides the Instructor with skills required to improve the students' ability to safely complete complex, challenging and potentially dangerous lifting operations. Instructors will learn to teach their students anchoring and lift bag techniques to prepare the team for various incident scenarios that may include but is not limited to the recovery of submerged objects such a small aircraft, passenger vehicles and boats. Obtaining the LSRT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Light Salvage & Recovery program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

Successful completion of the Med Dive 1 Trainer (MD1T) program provides the Instructor with skills required to improve the students' ability to recognize potentially life-threatening signs and symptoms associated with scuba diving injuries. Learning the cause, affects, signs and symptoms of decompression illness and arterial gas embolism will be discussed as well as in-field stabilization.  Obtaining the MD1T certification allows the Instructor to teach the Med Dive 1 program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

Public Safety Scuba Instructor is Dive Rescue International’s most physically demanding and study intensive program. This unique program is designed to help dive teams develop a cost effective way to certify their Public Safety Divers (PSDs). By sending one of your team’s most experienced divers through this program, your department’s Public Safety Scuba Instructor (PSSI) can standardize non-divers and open-water divers as PSDs. A PSD certification combines the fundamentals taught in an open-water class with an emphasis on the exacting skills required to successfully dive in a rescue/recovery operation. Both the Public Safety Scuba Instructor and Public Safety Diver programs meet or exceed all the requirements set forth by the Recreational Scuba Training Council. After completion of the PSSI program, graduates may purchase PSD student kits to train members of their own department as PSDs.

Successful completion of the Rapid Intervention Techniques Trainer (RITT) program provides the Instructor with skills required to improve the divers' ability to assess and respond to a PSD in distress, whether submerged or at the surface, and from a vessel or the shore. Instructors will work with RIT specific equipment such as contingency air cylinders and rapid diver systems during in-class scenarios.  Obtaining the RITT certification allows the Instructor to teach the Rapid Intervention Techniques program in-house and to mutual aid departments.

Using Swiftwater Rescue Student Kits, Trainers are able to present this course to all personnel, upgrading department response capabilities.