1	IN-SERVICE TRAINING TOPSIDE OPERATIONS Team established 1988 Became a non-profit 501(c)(3) Organization in September 1997 Incorporated into the South Hays FD on June 6, 2004 Stationed a Fire Station 3 on Ranch Road 12 July 2004 NOTE- All photographs in this presentation were taken by SMART personnel at actual recovery scenes
2	Rank Structure
3	What do the two teams do? Gather Intelligence Interview Witnesses Coordinate with all agencies Determine LSP Keep Records Brief the Dive Team Preserve Recovered and Record Evidence Determine individual diver assignments Prepare a dive plan based on intelligence from the topside team Execute the dive plan Locate the target Preserve and recover the target Deliver target to topside team
4	Duties of the Topside Operations Lieutenant In charge of topside team – gives assignments to topside personnel Coordinates and supervises all non-diving operations Coordinates with all on scene public service agencies Locates and interviews witnesses Provides a last seen point and briefs the Dive Operations Lieutenant Provides for logistics, hydration, support, evidence collection Obtains necessary information for FD and Dive Team reports Keeps records of dive times, recovery times, video, photos Handles media relations Remains topside, does not dive Conducts debriefing
5	Topside Team Assignments Locate, Identify, & Interview Witnesses Keep a continual running time log of events Provide hands on help for divers entering and exiting the water Evidence preservation, collection, & documentation Video and digital photos Record the names and agencies of all individuals involved in the operation Including SMART personnel Interagency coordination of equipment and tasks Monitoring bottom times and locations of individual divers Tending ropes for search patterns, COMM with divers Media Relations
6	Witnesses
7	Witnesses
8	LOCATING, IDENTIFYING, & INTERVIEWING WITNESSES Use a soft easy going approach – develop a rapport with the witness Identify yourself as member of the dive team Separate potential witnesses from each other during the interview Do not immediately identify the witnesses or ask for identification Ask open ended questions that require more than a simple yes or no answer “Can you tell me what happened and what you saw?” “Can you show me where you were standing when this happened?” Bring the witness back to the exact location they were when the incident happened, use a PFD for the witness if necessary A Cognitive Interview helps trigger memory recall – “What were you doing when this happened? What were you thinking was going to happen?” Make eye contact with the witness and appear interested in what they are saying. Nod your head indicating “yes” Do not interrupt unless the witness is drifting off the topic Paraphrase what the witness has told you in reply back to their statements. When interviewing children, kneel down to their eye level rather than towering over them. Ask for the child's parent or guardian to be present Begin recording notes after you have paraphrased what the witness said Fully identify the witness with name, address, phone, and ask them to remain at the scene. Ask if they know of any other witness who may have seen the incident Thank the witness for their help at the conclusion of the interview and ask them to please find you if they have any more information Report your information back to the Lieutenant over Topside Operations
9	Gathering Intelligence
10	LSP – “Last Seen Point”
11	Records and Logs of Events NOTES Statements Time of call Time of response Time of arrival Time of interview Time divers enter water Time of discovery and recovery Time divers exit Time of death as stated by the JOP State aloud – “Divers entering the water at eleven forty-five” State aloud – “Diver number one out of the water at twelve-ten” “Target located 12:11” “Recovery at twelve fifteen” Statements made aloud Keep all topside members informed AVOID statements that could upset family or witnesses present at scene
12	"The topside team must know..." The topside team must know the dive plan of each individual diver with an expected time to return to the surface If a diver has exceeded the planned dive time, the Captain/Lieutenant needs to be notified immediately Safety divers may be deployed at the discretion of topside command All dive times are noted by topside personnel Topside Team will brief the divers on the LSP.
13	Divers may need assistance entering and exiting the water
14	Underwater Communications Transducer must remain in the water away from obstruction PTT – Push To Talk button on topside headset Over pronounce your words Talk slow and clear – Diver’s mic is voice activated Repeat the diver’s statement “Confirmed, Target Found” A steady tone is the diver getting attention or declaring an emergency
15	Search Pattern The Shoreline Arc pattern is the most popular search pattern
16	Rope Signals 5 or more tugs from the diver indicates the target of the search has been found. 3 tugs from the topside anchor is an indication to change the direction of the search pattern Predetermine the rope signals prior to each dive as needed for each individual situation
17	Chain of Custody The topside team retrieves evidence from the drivers and maintains a chain of custody, securing the item in the dive truck until delivered to the LE agency The topside team supplies the diver with an underwater video camera, monitors the camera from the surface, and records the dive on VHS
18	Live Underwater Feed Topside team will monitor the live feed underwater video camera and record the entire dive operation on VHS tape..
19	Video
20	Recovery
21	Coordinate with other Agencies
22	Recording the location of the target
23	Recording the location of the target
24	Photographs of scene and evidence You can never take too many photographs
25	Footwear Evidence Preservation Cover footwear with extra large panty hose to preserve debris on the footwear and in the tread
26	Trace evidence under fingernails Hands can be covered with condoms or panty hose to preserve trace evidence that may be present under the fingernails
27	Firearm Recovery and Preservation
28	Evidence Preservation & Documentation Firearms are kept in water and sealed in a container with barrel up to preserve evidence Note time of recovery, depth, distance from shore and take photographs Put Rifles in PVC pipe
29	Media Relations Only designated personnel meet with media and participate in interviews Do not look into the camera, look and speak to the reporter Avoid the “Ummms” and “you know” talk Be straight forward and direct. Avoid laughing or smiling and always mention the victim’s family. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victim’s family”. Do not release names or addresses, keep the statements generic Example “A 37 year old male was recovered in 42 feet of water”.
30	Incident Debriefing Debriefing is for SMART & SHFD personnel only Openly discuss the operation Each participant will have an opportunity to speak. This is a constructive discussion for self improvent.
31	SMART Guidelines for a Successful Recovery Operation Teamwork is No 1. Be a team player. Take your time, there is no emergency. Do your assigned task thoroughly and completely. Give frequent updates to incident command as information develops. Remember - each task is equally important as the next. Remember the rules of evidence – Preserve the scene. Nothing is touched, disturbed, altered, destroyed or moved until it is fully documented and preserved. Communication and good public relations with other agencies is an absolute MUST! Remember the media is ALWAYS PRESENT! Debriefing – What was good? What was wrong or needs improvement? How can we improve? END OF PRESENTATION