In July the Fifth District (Clarksville) Volunteer Fire Department (FDVFD) Dive Team had the pleasure of hosting a Dive Rescue International – Public Safety Humminbird Sonar Training for Marine Law Enforcement, Fire & Rescue.
Eighteen participants attended the training, mainly from Howard County Station 5, Station 11 and James City County Police in Virginia.
Thanks to the BGE Emegency Response & Safety Grant, FDVFD’s Dive Team was able to purchase Humminbird Side Scanning Imaging, Down Imaging and 360 degree sonar units for Boat 5 as well as underwater Metal Detector.
These units will allow the public safety dive team to operate safely and more effeciently by putting divers in the water only after the sonar/metal detectors have detected weapons or victims for retrieval, thereby reducing the time a diver is in the water. Side scan sonar is one of the most effective tools for underwater searches. It can search large areas quickly and provide detailed images to the surface operator.
