Divers Alert Network (DAN) Training Courses

Advanced Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries

The DAN Advanced Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries ("DAN Advanced Oxygen Provider") programme is designed to teach the skills and knowledge needed to supplement Basic Life Support (BLS) and Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) skills with resuscitation techniques to assist any diver who is not breathing. The course is divided into two parts: The use of the Manual Triggered Ventilator (MTV, also known as Resuscitation valve) and the use of the Bag Valve Mask (BVM). According to local laws and regulations, providers will be trained in the use of the MTV only or in the use of both MTV and BVM.

Automated External Defibrillator (AED)

This course offers entry-level training designed to educate the general diving (and qualified non-diving) public to better recognise the warning signs of Sudden Cardiac Arrest.
Skills covered include administering first aid using Basic Life Support techniques and Automated External Defibrillators while activating the local emergency medical services, and / or arranging for evacuation to the nearest appropriate medical facility.
The nature and scope of this course is limited to training divers and interested non-divers such as boat captains, water enthusiasts and non-diving family members to provide emergency cardiac care with an Automated External Defibrillator.
This course does not provide training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or scuba diving rescue. The training exercises of this course presuppose that the ill or injured diver has already been brought to shore or is aboard the boat.

Basic Life Support

The Basic Life Support (BLS) course, represents entry-level training designed to educate persons in providing BLS techniques to adult victims with life threatening injuries, while activating the local medical services.
The programme is designed to teach the knowledge and skills needed to provide BLS to adult victims. BLS consists out of several first aid techniques that support or might restore life. At the end of the course the DAN BLS provider will be able to recognise an emergency, activate the EMS and provide early BLS, while waiting for an AED or Advanced Life Support to arrive at the scene of the incident.
Early Access to the EMS and early BLS are 2 of the 4 links in the chain of survival.

Hazardous Marine Life Injuries

The objectives of this course are to train and educate the general diving public and interested non-divers in the first aid techniques for a suspected hazardous marine life injury. In addition, this course will introduce divers to the identification of potentially hazardous marine life and how to avoid hazardous marine life injuries.
The nature and scope of this course is limited to training divers and interested non-divers such as boat captains, water enthusiasts and non-diving family members to identify potential hazardous marine life; to provide first aid for a hazardous marine animal injury; and to prevent injuries caused by hazardous marine life. This course does not provide training for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) or scuba diving rescue. The training exercises of this course presuppose that the ill or injured diver has already been brought to shore or is aboard the boat.

Medical Oxygen Rebreather

The DAN Medical Oxygen Rebreather (MO2R) training programme is for those individuals who have successfully completed the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course within the past 12 months. It trains DAN Oxygen Providers to recognise where a MO2R system will be an effective method of providing emergency oxygen first aid and how to assemble and provide emergency oxygen using a system.
The MO2R system will benefit a responsive and breathing injured diver where there is substantial distance to the nearest medical facility or delay to the next level of emergency response. A MO2R is designed to provide high concentrations of emergency oxygen for up to eight hours.

On-Site Neurological Assessment for Divers

At the end of this program participants will be able to:

• Understand and identify common warning signs of decompression illness.
• Take a dive history to determine when it is appropriate to conduct a complete On-Site Neurological Assessment.
• Use an On-Site Neurological Assessment Slate to conduct a complete On-Site Neurological Assessment.
• To successfully complete the DAN On-Site Neurological Assessment for Divers course, participants must demonstrate skill and confidence in conducting an On-Site Neurological Assessment.

Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries

The course is designed to train and educate the general diving public in the techniques of using oxygen as first aid for a suspected dive injury. In addition, this course will introduce novice divers to the fundamentals of recognising diving injury warning signs, response and management. This program also provides an excellent opportunity for experienced divers and instructors to continue their education.
The DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course is not designed to train lay persons to provide oxygen to the general public. While the medical standards and equipment are the same regarding the emergency use of oxygen for both divers and non-divers, the DAN Oxygen Provider course does not prepare individuals to respond to the ill or injured member of the general public.
By the end of the course participants will be familiar with the signs and symptoms of major diving injuries including near drowning and decompression illnesses (arterial gas embolism and decompression sickness).
To achieve certification course participants must demonstrate proper deployment, assembly, disassembly, and use of all components of the DAN Oxygen Unit. This includes use of the demand inhalator valve/mask, constant flow (delivering oxygen at least 15 lpm), non-rebreather mask and oronasal resuscitation mask with supplemental oxygen inlet.
Course participants must complete the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries examination with a minimum passing score of 80 percent. The instructor will review the examination with each participant to ensure 100 percent understanding of the material.

Instructor Qualification Course and Modules

The DAN Instructor Qualification Course (IQC) trains and educates qualified scuba diving Instructors to plan, manage, conduct and promote dive safety through DAN Training Programmes such as the Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries, Advanced Oxygen First Aid, Medical Oxygen Rebreather, Automated External Defibrillator (AED) for Scuba Diving, First Aid for Hazardous Marine Life Injuries and Oxygen First Aid for Aquatic Emergencies.
The course develops role-model teaching techniques in the use of first aid for suspected dive injuries. The DAN IQC consists of seven modules. There is a core module that introduces DAN and the DAN training philosophy. This core programme serves as the introduction for all other DAN training programmes. The remaining programme modules represent each of the individual training courses offered by DAN.
Participants must be certified as Provider before they can be certified as Instructor for any of the DAN courses.
For example, the DAN Oxygen Instructor must be certified as DAN Oxygen Provider before he can be certified as DAN Oxygen Instructor.