There have recently been changes to ADAS training facilities with one school expanding into Western Australia and another no longer offering ADAS training courses.
Diving Emergency Service (DES) Hotline
ADAS has recently been informed that the Australian Diving Emergency Service (DES) hotline has undergone structural changes resulting in calls to the service being diverted to New Zealand or America.
Traditionally the DES hotline had been funded by Divers Alert Network (DAN) Asia Pacific with the service being staffed by volunteer medical personnel located in Australia. ADAS understands that DAN Asia Pacific has since been disbanded and is now under the umbrella title of DAN World along with what was previously DAN USA.
The restructure of DAN has subsequently lead to modified structure of the DES hotline, with calls to the hotline now being diverted to New Zealand or America – with a very limited number being directed to Adelaide, Australia, as was the case previously.
Emergency services and medical evacuation can still be arranged through the DES hotline but the changes may have an impact on response times to calls, depending on the location of the incident and where the call is being diverted to.
ADAS recommends that all contractors, regardless of the arrangements or service provider in place, take this opportunity to review their emergency response procedures and confirm the currency of contact numbers and services within their plans.
Contact details for the DES Australia and DES New Zealand hotline and other international equivalent emergency services can be found on the DAN World website.
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