Delta Co. dive team grant money
The Delta County Sheriff’s Department has received grant money to help protect residents in an emergency on the water.
The $25,000 grant comes from TransCanada, a natural gas and oil pipeline operator.
The money will pay for water rescue equipment for the Delta County Sheriff Dive Rescue Team.
It needed gear like dry suits, LED lights and SCUBA breathing regulators.
“The equipment our Dive Rescue Team has is many years old,” Delta County Sheriff Gary Ballweg said. “Some of it is unserviceable, and and we were at a point where maybe, we weren’t going to be able to respond fully to our capabilities to some of the incidents that happen.”
The dive team serves Dickinson and Iron Counties along with Delta County.
The grant will also pay for training coming up in June that will focus on light salvage and recovery operations.
“It’s nationally recognized,” Sheriff Ballweg said. “Our officers and our dive team volunteer members are going to learn a lot of interesting things, new skills. They’ll be able to protect themselves and each other while they’re under the water.”
TransCanada operates two natural gas pipelines that run through much of Delta County.