Dive Rescue
The West Metro Dive Team specializes in water rescue and recovery-related services. The Dive Team does everything from scuba-based rescue and recovery to ice rescues to swiftwater river rescues. Recovery services include things like helping recover a car from a lake or assisting a law enforcement agency with a water crime scene investigation.
The West Metro Dive Team operates as a member of The Metro Dive Rescue Team, a metro-regional dive team consisting of firefighters from the West Metro, South Metro and Westminster fire departments, and Thornton police and fire departments.
The Metro Dive Rescue Team was formed in 1994 with the signing of an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) between the three departments.
Annually, the Metro Dive Team responds to about forty alarms. Most of these calls result from recreational activities like boating, jet-skiing, camping or water-skiing.
The team also works closely with local police departments in recovering critical evidence necessary for criminal convictions. Many calls are for assistance in recovering stolen cars abandoned in lakes and ponds. Recovery of these vehicles mitigates hazardous material discharges that otherwise pollute waterways. The team has been sent to numerous metro and regional locations as far away as Leadville and Eagle County.
The team conducts monthly training and has Public Safety Scuba Instructors who train new and existing team members on a wide variety of topics.
The dive team uses state-of-the-art equipment, including full drysuits with a positive pressure AGA full-face mask. Both wireless and hardwire communications allow surface support personnel to direct the diver in his or her operations. Together, this equipment protects the diver from the hazards of polluted water as well as the extremes in water temperature seen in Colorado's varied seasons.
Dive-2, the West Metro Dive Team Van, is located at Station 10, 3535 S. Kipling Street.. This station is centrally located and covers the district's many lakes, ponds, creeks, rivers and reservoirs. Questions about West Metro’s dive team can be emailed to the dive team manager, Captain Doug Hutchinson.
