The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is once again offering its annual Emergency Response Diver Course for all divers who want to improve their rescue skill. This year, the Emergency Rescue Diver (ERD) will be offered in October from the 18th-23rd, 2009.
The Emergency Rescue Diver course is a program designed to prepare every diver with the knowledge, skills, and practice to handle emergency situations. The course is presented by Gordon Boivin, former senior instructor for the Canadian Coast Guard, and by Karl Huggins, director for the USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber. Special topics include:

• the best techniques for beach and boat rescues
• the best way to handle a victim in the water
• how to administer effective CPR and first aid
• how to make the best use of emergency oxygen
• how to efficiently manage the diving accident scene
• specific methods for dealing with hypothermia, near drowning, and other diving maladies
Tuition for the ERD course is $675.00 which includes all instruction, five night’s housing at the USC Catalina Island facility, and all meals.

For more information, see the Chamber’s website at http://wrigley.usc.edu/hyperbaric/chamber. Or, contact the chamber at USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber, P.O. Box 5069, 1 Big Fisherman’s Cove, Two Harbors, CA 90704. Tel. (310) 510-4020. The USC Catalina Hyperbaric Chamber is part of USC, a non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization.

• http://wrigley.usc.edu/hyperbaric/chamber