How to prepare a rescue plan

The emergency plan should include, but not be limited to, phone numbers for: the nearest hospital, fire service or other water rescue service (at sea SAR service), DAN diver emergency network. In addition to the numbers themselves, it is good to describe the procedure for using them. If we are dealing with a diving accident in Poland, the procedure may look as follows:

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a. Telephone call to the nearest hospital

• name
• the telephone number from which I am calling and at which I will be reached
• what happened: “diving accident”.
• how many victims: e.g. 1, 2, 3
• what is the victim’s condition: breathing/not breathing, conscious unconscious, other symptoms
• what assistance is given: e.g. CPR, oxygen given
• where you are: exact address and how to get there

b. Notification to DAN Poland/KOMH

• what happened: “diving accident”.
• how many are affected: 1, 2, 3
• what is the condition of the victim: breathing/not breathing, conscious unconscious, what are the symptoms
• what assistance is given: CPR, oxygen given
• where the casualty will be transported: address and number of the hospital

If you are diving offshore from a boat, for example, it is a good idea to find out the number for the sea rescue service (SAR), which can help you to quickly transport an injured person to shore. Sea rescue procedures are most often carried out by radio communication on the arm channel.

2. procedures for granting aid

In the event of a diving accident, we always secure (make sure there is breathing and a heartbeat, and if there is not, try to restore them) the ABC at the beginning and give oxygen first aid. The earlier we administer oxygen, the less danger there is of permanent sequelae of injury in the body. This is why it is so important that oxygen equipment is available at the dive site, and that it is ready for use. Remember that here time is counted in seconds and minutes, not hours, so your oxygen set should be at the dive site (e.g. on the boat), not in the base!

a. secure ABCs (airway, breathing and circulation)

b. is not breathing properly

• call an ambulance
• give 5 rescue breaths
• continue CPR at a rate of 30 compressions to 2 breaths

d. is breathing correctly

• bring oxygen kit: the kit is in …….
• lay the casualty down (straight limbs)
• supply oxygen through the valve on demand
• if the casualty is conscious and able to swallow, give him/her still water (1 litre)

d. conduct an interview (record your answers)

• what he is currently complaining about
• how the dive went: depth, time, which dive in turn, unusual situations during

dives

e. provide thermal comfort to the casualty (thermal blanket)

f. secure the diver’s computer

g. continuously monitor the condition of the stricken diver

3. preparation of casualty transport

a. send a person to the junction/entrance of the centre to direct the ambulance

b. secure the oxygen cylinders

4. information on the place of stay and travel and transport

These will ensure that the emergency services will be able to quickly locate where you are. We divers often use the name of the lake, not the place, so it is good to make sure in which place exactly we dive. What information we need to prepare:

a. the exact address of the place where you are staying

b. method of access (from which road to turn, characteristic points)

In milder conditions we will often want to transport the casualty ourselves to the nearest hospital. However, you should remember that the decision whether to transport the injured person yourself should be consulted with qualified medical personnel. In such a situation:

a. make sure you bring your oxygen kit and extra cylinders

b. prepare a place for the casualty to lie down in the car (estate cars are best for this)

c. Use the previously prepared map to reach the hospital

How to prepare an emergency plan?

When preparing a plan, we can take advantage of the Internet, which will provide us with all the information at hand. A web browser will allow us to quickly find the exact address of our centre, the nearest hospital and much other helpful information. It is then a good idea to make sure that the numbers provided are up-to-date and operational. Preparing a good emergency plan may take some time, but remember that this is the time which may save someone’s life or health in an emergency situation. Therefore, the prepared plan should be as careful and up-to-date as possible, and also adjusted to the current conditions. On the other hand, if we are diving from the base, those five minutes spent getting familiar with their emergency plan can definitely speed up our action when an accident actually occurs.