I joined Friendship Fire Company No. 2 Diving-Rescue Unit, Chester County Station 77, as a volunteer rescue crew member and Public Safety Diver in 2024. Established in 1952, this organization—comprised entirely of volunteers—assists police and fire departments within the tri-county area. Over the past year, I have been actively volunteering with the Diving-Rescue Unit, which specializes in search, rescue, and recovery operations throughout southeastern Pennsylvania. Specific operations encompass water rescues, ice rescues, underwater crime scene investigation, and underwater recovery. I chose to volunteer with this unit because of my passion and commitment to water safety and my desire to make a meaningful difference in my community.
I used my Volunteer Time Off (VTO) hours provided by Normandeau toward furthering my public safety training through the Montgomery County Fire Academy by completing the Water Rescue & Emergency Response certification by the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. This course is a baseline requirement for all first responders looking to participate in water rescue operations. The course covers planning for water emergencies, water terminology and dynamics, medical conditions associated with water emergencies, rescue team safety, and fundamental self and shore-based rescue. As someone who spends a large amount of their time in and around rivers, this training provided me with knowledge and skills that I will take back to not only the Diving-Rescue Unit, but also my work with the freshwater mussel group here at Normandeau.
Normandeau’s freshwater mussel group conducts several hundred dives per year surveying, assessing, and relocating freshwater mussels in various habitats along the East Coast. Mussels are an important aquatic organism capable of filtering water at high rates, thus having significant impact on the water quality of the areas they inhabit.
Our dive team is required to complete special training and certification to ensure every dive is done accurately and safely. This training goes above and beyond that requirement. And it showcases something incredibly special about our employees—their sincere dedication to their local communities and the environment.
