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Several Tampa Police Department Dive trucks were parked outside the pool and boathouse on Monday and Tuesday as divers competed for a few spots open in the TPD dive team.
Oxygen tanks, flippers, vests and other equipment were all around the pool as they prepared to jump in and start their warm up laps. This is one of the many days of rigorous exercises that the candidates must go through to see if they are prepared for the job.
The candidates began by doing several laps in the pool with no equipment. They then moved to the deep end and sustained their float for a period of time and then only with their legs.
They put their flippers on and did several laps with them. Other activities included a practice drag where each candidate swam a person with their equipment to safety.
The training and hiring comes after the announcement of one of the current dive member’s retirement.
Joe Clark, a TPD dive team supervisor, was one of many supervisors observing the candidates.
Clark has been with TPD for 23 years and 21 of them have been with the TPD dive team.
Throughout their career the two or three candidate’s chosen will face difficult challenges as they live their life as a TPD diver.
Once they are chosen they will train once a week with their dive supervisor.
Clark said that one of his most difficult operations was only a few weeks ago where he was searching for a car that had sped off the Courtney Campbell Causeway. The vehicle was 400 to 500 feet away from any structure. Not only that, but an oncoming front made swells of up to six feet. The search took 13 hours to complete.
The candidates will continue their exercises tomorrow and Wednesday and then will move out to Tampa Bay or another waterway for further exercises to see how much the candidates can take.
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