Virginia Beach Fire Department Launches Rapid Dive Training Program

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. – Nov. 13, 2023 – Recently the Virginia Beach Fire Department took delivery of 10 Aqua Lung Rapid Dive Kits. Like Self-Contained Under Water Breathing Apparatus (SCUBA) the Rapid Dive kits are designed to allow the rescue diver to rapidly enter the water to search for persons trapped in submerged vehicles, near shore drownings and overturned boats. The Rapid Dive kit is designed to be placed in-service within one-minute after the arrival at the emergency scene increasing the survivability profile of a person trapped in a submerged environment. Each of the two Rescue Companies will be assigned five Rapid Dive kits.

Over the last few weeks, the departments Rescue Companies have been conducting training on the new equipment with a goal of placing the units in service in January of 2024. This additional capability will provide a much-needed service to the citizens and visitors of Virginia Beach.

Additional training will take place tomorrow and Wednesday at Lynnhaven Dive Center in Virginia Beach and next week at Oak Grove Lake in Chesapeake. The Chesapeake Police Department and Lynnhaven Dive Center have been instrumental in assisting with the Rapid Dive procurement and training.

The program is being developed and managed by Captain Jon Rigolo who also manages the Virginia Task Force Two’s Structural Collapse Specialist School and is a Task Force Leader for Virginia Task Force 2.

To learn more about this new program, contact Capt. Rigolo at jrigolo@vbgov.com or (757) 434-3090.