New scuba suits offer protection for Delaware County public safety dive team

CHESTER, Pa. (CBS) – A specialized dive team that responds to water emergencies in Delaware County is getting new equipment for the first time in years.

The Chester Police and Fire Department's Dive Rescue & Recovery Team is tasked with performing swift water rescues, retrieving underwater evidence for criminal investigations and recovering drowning victims from waterways.

The team now has state-of-the-art custom dry suits and full-face masks for each of its 16 members. Delaware County purchased the equipment for about $35,000, according to Chester Bureau of Fire Commissioner J.P. Shirley.

"It's probably some of the best gear that's out there, so we're just very fortunate that the county was able to provide us with this new equipment," said Shirley.

Divers practiced using the new gear during a six-day training course at Widener University's swimming pool on Tuesday. During rescue and recovery missions, each diver will wear about 100 pounds worth of gear, but it will keep them from getting soaked.

"Per standards around best practices around the country, we have to dive what we call 'totally encapsulated,'" corporate trainer Jerry Richert from Dive Rescue International said. "So that means we have to be dry. Because all the water we dive in is considered contaminated."

The pool is a controlled environment where divers like Jamal Anding, a Chester firefighter, can sharpen their skills.

"It's my first time in a dry suit, so it's a lot different between being in a wet suit," said Anding. "I think the training is going well. I'm learning a lot."

The training culminates with a dive on Saturday at the Springton Reservoir, where divers will practice using their equipment in an open water environment.