Rescue classes and the use of the word help

[TxHockeyGuy]

This is being discussed over at ScubaBoard on the Texas Swamp Divers forum and I thought I'd get a conversation going on here too.

Apparently PADI requires during their rescue classes that students call for help and use the phrase call 911, unlike the very sane option that ScubaToys uses of Pizza and Call Dominos. Normally, other than poking fun , I'm not into the PADI bashing thing but I'm making an exception here. I can't believe anyone actually believes there is true benefit in having a class call out for help or yell for 911. This is a more sensitive topic for those who dive at CSSP (a local scuba park) and are aware of some recent incidents.

Now I ask how do we go about changing this?

I doubt petitioning PADI will do any good. We might get assistance with this from scuba park owners, but that'd be hit and miss. Then there's the legal question, I can't imagine calling for help and yelling call 911 is legal when there is no emergency. Can anyone cite any laws like this, I'm especially interested in Texas, that we could use to start educating people to stop doing this? Hopefully if there are such laws on the books that would make dealing with park owners more simple, and for that matter dealing with instructors who follow those ridiculous PADI requirements.

Thoughts anyone?

[Illini_Fan]

Kevin and I started talking about this out at CSSP yesterday.

I don't have a wealth of experience, but I strongly disagree with the use of "HELP" during a training class that is conducted anywhere near other divers. If PADI trully wants their students to use HELP and loudly call that out during training, then their rescue classes need to be done at a private facility.

If you are in a public location and condition people to ingore "HELP" nothing good can come from that.

[fire diver]

I'm strongly against using the words "help" or "911" in any training scenario. Have you ever seen what a fire dept can charge for a response?

FD

[TxHockeyGuy]

Originally Posted by Illini_Fan

Kevin and I started talking about this out at CSSP yesterday.

I don't have a wealth of experience, but I strongly disagree with the use of "HELP" during a training class that is conducted anywhere near other divers. If PADI trully wants their students to use HELP and loudly call that out during training, then their rescue classes need to be done at a private facility.

If you are in a public location and condition people to ingore "HELP" nothing good can come from that.

I completely agree. We already had one fatality this year out at CSSP where response was delayed because the calls for help were thought to be a rescue class. Maybe a bunch of us should approach Robert on this subject, whatever it takes to stop this nonsense.

Edit: Robert is the owner of CSSP for those not from the Dallas area.

[paintballindivr]

well i agree with the call pizza and dominos for two big reasons
1. you dont freak people out by calling for help
2. when you surface you are greeted with warm dominos pizza

[Divingguy]

Anyone who insists upon using the real words help and 911 in a rescue class, especially in light of the recent incidents at CSSP, is creating unnecessary problems for bystanders, other classes, and Robert.

[WaterRat]

Didn't we learn this as a kid? Hum, some story about a boy crying wolf.

Ron

[Vercingetorix]

During PPB class at CSSP in June, the PADI Rescue instructor at the next pavillion came over to us to tell us to ignore the calls for help and 911. We asked the instructor about "callfor pizza" and she informed us it's a PADI requirement. I gotta tell you, the group of us felt a bit uneasy about that.

[TxHockeyGuy]

Originally Posted by Vercingetorix

During PPB class at CSSP in June, the PADI Rescue instructor at the next pavillion came over to us to tell us to ignore the calls for help and 911. We asked the instructor about "callfor pizza" and she informed us it's a PADI requirement. I gotta tell you, the group of us felt a bit uneasy about that.

You know, I'd be real tempted to calll 911 anyway and let them explain themselves. I think I'm going to shoot off an email to Robert asking his opinion on this.

[ReefHound]

Sorry, if I hear someone yell "call 911" then I'm calling 911. Better to sort out a false alarm later than to delay response to a real emergency. So there is a rescue class in the area. How does that prevent a real emergency from happening to someone not in the class?