Dive Rescue Team NEEDs critical Equipment

Our Non-Profit Dive Rescue Team located in Lancaster, PA, is an all-Volunteer team founded in 2019 by a core of Rescue Divers and Swift Water Rescue professionals. It is because of their hard work and vision that we exist today.

The team’s primary mission is the rescue and/or recovery of people and property involved in water-related accidents. To accomplish this, we need new equipment for our divers. Currently, our volunteer divers rely heavily on their personal diving equipment for training and rescue missions. When a call is dispatched, most of our divers need to drive home to grab their personal gear before even responding to the scene. We are hoping to decrease our response time for a speedier rescue by eliminating unnecessary detours when en route. By outfitting our Water Rescue vehicle with permanent dive gear, we can ensure that we have everything we need for mission success. To make this happen, we will have a goal of approximately $15,000 for the Buoyancy Control Devices, Weights, Goggles, Fins, Regulators & Gauges, and PPE.

Any donation is greatly appreciated!

Over the last few years, we have worked hand in hand with Lancaster County Emergency Services and surrounding counties. The team is composed of civilians as well as personnel from various emergency response agencies located in Lancaster and Chester County. All of which are volunteers. There are no paid positions. The unpaid professionals of the Dive Rescue Team donate thousands of man-hours each year.

Lancaster County contains nearly 1,500 miles of streams. There are multiple lakes, ponds, quarries, and rivers within the Lancaster response area. Of these waterways, the Susquehanna River is the longest river on the East Coast of the United States. Lancaster County alone contains (10) major dams, which significantly increases the likelihood of water-related accidents. Couple these safety concerns with other factors of kayakers, rafters, boaters, and swimmers that come to enjoy the rivers from around the state, and you quickly begin to see the opportunity for accidents to increase. The odds are further increased during spring runoffs. The flood dangers increase as do the needs for emergency response agencies. Lancaster County has no Dive Rescue Team. We meet that need.