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The
Rescue Dive Team or
City MRT
(Marine Response Team) as it
is known today was created by
Captain
Larry Heninger in August 1991, to
administer a program which provides for the immediate response and timely
arrival of a specially trained and equipped Rescue Dive Team to respond to
rescues involving Drownings, Near-Drownings or Water Related
Accidents.
Ed Constantine is the current Dive Team Captain and was one of the founding members. He was a natural choice to take over leadership when Larry Henninger retired as Captain in 2005 but is still part of the teams governing body and is an active member. Since 1991 MRT duties have evolved over the years to include beach patrol on 3 ATV's and off shore patrol during summer months with 3 Jet Ski's to provide water safety such as near beach assistance to swimmers caught in rip tides and immediate response for near drowning victims. The Dive Team utilizes special procedures and search techniques for locating and removing patients from hazards and boating accidents. Since much of our membership is comprised of active or retired fireman, EMS and police the team provides back up assistance to the cities many rescue squads especially when a rescue involves circumstances such as cars in flooded ditches, residence rescue calls during Hurricane flooding, vehicle accidents on bridges, beach rescues etc. The Dive Team continues to evolve with the most advanced Marine Rescue Equipment such as underwater communications, underwater side scan for locating lost swimmers or objects, training and of course the most motivated dive team in the country due to the City of Virginia Beach having a strong commitment to providing the BEST rescue possible to it's community both on and off the water! |