Water Rescue It is mandatory for all DART personnel to be skilled in life saving in water. The core skills training involves two weeks of water fitness and rescue techniques. Further to this, rescuers are trained in handling power boats and scuba diving. DART procured the following equipment to boost its surface water rescue capability: (i) IRB – Inflatable Rescue Boat with Outboard Motor (OBM). (ii) Personal Protective Equipment for surface rescue which include wet suite, mask and fins. (iii) Specialised cutting equipment – Thermal Arc – to perform cutting underwater. Armed with full diving equipment, the unit has attended numerous diving operations. These include search and recovery of victims at reservoirs, wharfs, and other inland water bodies in Singapore.
Amphibious Vehicle (AV) The AV is an all-wheel drive and all-terrain vehicle with the capability to manoeuvre on both land and water. This allows SCDF to respond swiftly to water-related incidents, as well as off-road terrain, such as swamps or remote areas that are difficult to access. Measuring 3.02m in length, 1.52m in width and 1.17m in height, it is capable of transporting up to six persons. This vehicle is equipped with a floating stretcher and basic water rescue equipment, such as water rescue tubes and life buoys, to conduct surface water rescue. Specially designed webbed tyres function as linear propellers for the AV when traversing in water.
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Water rescue is a crucial component of the DART training.
The Amphibious Vehicle.