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Divers at Boise Fire Department use new system for water based missions

Posted at 12:38 AM, Aug 10, 2018
and last updated 2018-08-13 15:04:58-04

Boise Fire Department’s dive team recently adopted a new method for their water based rescues. Surface supplied air systems are the new and improved way for dive teams to deploy quickly, efficiently and safely. Before this new system went into effect, the fire department used basic scuba equipment. 

According to Chad Tiffany, a diver with the Boise Fire Department, scuba diving while on missions started raising safety concerns. With the surface supplied air system, divers can communicate clearly, have their oxygen tanks monitored and easily be located by their team from the surface. This new method also allows a diver an extended amount of time underwater. In ponds or even lakes, air tanks can be switched out from the surface without the diver noticing anything.

The new system is still compatible with scuba gear and can use scuba tanks as well as oxygen tanks on a fire engine. Surface supplied air systems are designed to make water-based missions safe and seamless.

As of now, Boise Fire Department is only able to deploy two divers at a time. The equipment is three weeks and the dive team just completed their training for it ten days ago. The system will be in use regularly for divers to become more comfortable with.