DAN Will Conduct A Diver Medical Technician Course in November

Through a joint effort of Divers Alert Network and the Duke University Medical Center, DAN will host its fifth Diver Medical Technician (DMT) course in November.

Eric Douglas, Director of Training at DAN, said he expected a full complement of 12 participants for the six-day event, which runs Nov 6-11. Participants will spend four days at DAN Headquarters and two at the Duke hyperbaric chamber.

Douglas said diver medical technicians (DMTs) serve at the critical first step in the diving medicine chain, caring for injured divers on the scene and acting as tenders in the hyperbaric chamber.

"Many of the participants in these programs are diving safety officers with dive teams or tenders associated with hyperbaric chambers," Douglas said. "But a good number of them have also been dive professionals interested in advancing their knowledge of dive medicine so they can better tend to the divers in their care."

Skill training includes all DAN's current training programs, with specialized training in use of the otoscope and field neurological surveys. Attendees who complete the course receive DMT certification through the National Board of Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Technology (NBDHMT). This course has a prerequisite of EMT-B or paramedic and diver certification.

The course offers lectures presented by internationally known faculty, hands-on practical skills, and the experience gained through 14 hours of clinical time in the Duke Center for Hyperbaric Medicine and Environmental Physiology. It gives participants an opportunity to learn both at DAN Headquarters and at the Duke Hyperbaric Center.

Capt. Brian T. Wilson, who attended a recent course, commended the program. "I have been to many schools, since it is my job being as training officer for the county, and as a firefighter in the USAF Reserves," said Wilson, an officer from Forsyth County, Ga. Fire Dept. "This class was very well thought out, and the instructors were very knowledgeable in their respective fields."

For further information about the November course, check the DAN website www.DiversAlertNetwork.org or contact Douglas, at 1-800-446-2671 ext. 553 or via email at edouglas@dan.duke.edu. And for information about courses offered at DEMA, visit the Coming Events section of the website.

Source: www.diversalertnetwork.org