Police divers are exposed to a variety of health risks. Possible accidents during police dives can have serious consequences and are very special from a medical point of view.
In order to guarantee the divers of the NRW police the greatest possible safety during their missions, they are always accompanied by so-called diver rescue paramedics. These specially trained paramedics from the Police Medical Service (PÄD) of the NRW police were previously trained as part of a cooperation partnership with the navy or the federal police. Due to the high demand, this year was the first time that a training course was organized specifically by the LAFP NRW.
But why is it so important to be specially trained in the rescue and care of divers?
"In the event of an accident or mishap, divers show different medical abnormalities and clinical pictures than patients on land," says Dr. Thomas Schleuß, one of two diving doctors at the NRW police force, whose expertise was used both in the conception and implementation of the course.
These are therefore always emergencies that need to be treated with the appropriate specialist knowledge. "Compared to a 'normal' emergency paramedic, the diver paramedic must have special specialist knowledge and skills that are tailored to the field of diving," Dr. Schleuß continues, adding that this knowledge includes diving-specific reactions of the human body that can arise, for example, due to a deviation from normal pressure.
What makes this course at Department 32 of the LAFP NRW so special?
"As this is a course that has never been organized by the LAFP NRW in this form before, there is a special planning effort behind it," says course director Werner Bertels.
The fact that the first course of this kind planned and organized by the LAFP NRW is a complete success is also confirmed by Dominik Helms, the head of the police department responsible: "I would like to thank everyone involved in the planning and implementation for the smooth running and the good cooperation between all departments. As we were also supported by many external speakers, such as employees from Münster University Hospital or the head of the pressure chamber at Bergmannsheil Hospital in Gelsenkirchen, it was all the more important that all the individual gears meshed together."