Underwater search and recovery team practices at Sports Complex pool.
A weeklong training exercise is nearly complete for special underwater search and recovery teams from the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Four FBI teams, mostly from east coast offices, spent long days practicing their craft in the dive pool at the Santa Clarita Sports Complex, which is 13 feet deep. The teams also spent hours in the classroom attached to the pool facility, as part of their re-certification training.
The location has been a hotspot for such training in the past, with the FBI utilizing it for 3 consecutive years. The LA County Fire department and the Los Angeles Police department have also trained at the pool in years past.
[view:node_ad=5]“Whenever the opportunity arises and we can work it out, we really try to accommodate them because of what a good service that is,” said Doug Botton, Aquatics Administrator for the City. “It’s important for these guys to be sharp.”
Indeed, some members training in Santa Clarita this week have been a part of recovery efforts in the search for Laci Peterson and the Minnesota Bridge Collapse.
The teams don’t use scuba tanks, instead relying on a tube that feeds them surface air. This is mainly due to the fact that members spend up to four hours underwater in a single session, investigating what is essentially an underwater crime scene.