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Diving Into Serious Business

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By CARLOS MONCADA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 23, 2008

PINELLAS PARK - Jumping into a body of water in full uniform isn't typically part of a law enforcement officer's repertoire.

Pinellas County sheriff's deputies, however, are honing their technique so they can rescue people or apprehend suspects in the water-rich world they patrol.

At the same time, they are learning their own abilities and shortcomings - knowledge that could save their lives.

"The law enforcement officers don't know their limitations," said Sgt. Glenn Wilson, who supervises the sheriff office's Underwater Rescue Search and Recovery Team. "They think, 'I've got the badge, I've got the gun and I can handle any situation.'"

A Halloween night death in Manatee County points out the questions that arise for emergency workers when water rescue is necessary. A man drowned in a retention pond in the presence of paramedics who didn't have such skills.

Wilson developed a water safety course that he was teaching Friday afternoon to a half-dozen new recruits. The training combined drown-proofing and rescue techniques while emphasizing officer safety when encountering someone in the water who either needs assistance or is trying to get away.

The session at Bill Jackson Shop for Adventure called for the uniformed patrol deputies to enter an indoor pool 60 feet long, 25 feet wide and 10 feet deep while wearing their shoes or boots, equipment belts and ballistic vests.

They practiced swimming and holding their breath under water. They also performed drills that simulated such things as escaping from a submerged vehicle or diving to a car under water and checking to see whether anyone is inside before swimming to the surface with their guns drawn.

Wilson said the average patrol deputy may come upon a dozen water-related episodes a year in Pinellas, a peninsula bordered by Tampa Bay, the Intracoastal Waterway and the Gulf of Mexico with an abundance of waterways, lakes and ponds.

"It could be anywhere. It could be a pool in a backyard," said sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Jim Bordner. "If you're chasing a burglary suspect, it's very possible that at some point you could end up in the water, or make a decision as to whether you should go into the water."

The training also emphasizes life-saving options such as throw-rope bags that have been issued to about 500 patrol deputies.

Wilson said the water safety course is not a response to the Manatee County incident. The training began several months before then.

The Tribune found wide variation at the time in the depth and breadth of water rescue skills among emergency personnel across the Bay area.

In Pinellas, about 30 marine and environmental land deputies have gone through the course, which now is being taught to patrol deputies.

"We just saw a need to have our deputies trained to recognize the hazards of being in and around the water," Wilson said. "And that you're not Superman, or Aquaman."

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com.

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