The long weekend of September 20-23 was certainly an arduous one for members of Atlantic Steamer Fire Company’s (ASFC) Dive/ Water Rescue Team. Six divers earned certification as Public Safety Diver (PSD). PSD is a basic certification needed for rescue diving within a public safety (in this case, fire department) dive team.
The training took place at beaches in Oyster Bay and Glen Cove and at the Atlantic Steamer Marine Facility at Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Park. Danny Rivera and Chris Zino are in charge of diver training for the fire company. Both are master scuba diver trainers and PSD instructors.
A PSD requires exceptional advanced diving skills and training and needs specialized equipment.
Four “tenders” were also trained and certified. All six divers were cross-trained, as well. A tender is a diver’s on-land partner and guides the diver through the search and rescue and is responsible for the diver’s safety. Atlantic Steamer has six additional divers and 10 tenders that have started this lengthy and dangerous training.
The ASFC is the only fire department dive team on the north shore of Nassau County. When necessary the fire company’s specially-equipped dive truck is prepared to be dispatched to lend mutual-aid assistance to neighboring fire departments. ASFC has been adding more state-of-the-art equipment for its divers and has members of the fire company trained to man its fire/rescue boat, as well as two waverunners and other rescue equipment stored at its marine facility located at the Western Waterfront.
Members of the team that participated that weekend were: Divers: co-captains Danny Rivera and Chris Zino, Chief Doug Schadler, 1st Assistant Chief Rob Waller, Jr., Pablo Fernandez, Jeff Adami, Chris Montell and Jay Valdes. The tenders were: ex-chief Frank Ozol, Ron Bagan, Ray Norton and Tom Martinovic.
If you would like to become “one of Oyster Bay’s bravest,” contact Chief Doug Schadler at 922-5414. After initial training as a firefighter and/or EMT, you could become a PSD or a boat team member. All training is provided by the Atlantic Steamer Fire Company.
