The Allegan County Sheriff's Office hosts a training exercise on Thursday July 13 at Dumont Lake in Monterey Township. Several dive teams from the State’s Homeland Security 5th District Region which includes Allegan, Barry, Berrien, Branch, Calhoun, Cass, Kalamazoo, St. Joseph and Van Buren counties, are taking part.
Dive team members will work and train with other divers and agencies so they will be comfortable working with each other during a large scale incident. //
The exercise will evaluate an “in-water” incident and use resources available through mutual aid in the 5th District. Dive team leaders will learn what resources are available to them in the event of a large scale incident in their area. Additionally, team leaders will share techniques used in the areas of documenting and recovering evidence. Pre-determined topics will also be evaluated.
During the exercise, the teams will learn different means and methods of work from each other, including search patterns, boat operations, underwater photography, evidence collection and preservation, scene processing and photography, scene sketches, information documentation and the use of other resources such as drones and cadaver dogs to locate evidence and possible human remains.