Overview#
Public safety diving is unforgiving. Underwater visibility may be zero, currents are unpredictable, air supply is finite, and the evidence or victim the team is looking for may be anywhere across a large search area. A dive supervisor managing multiple divers simultaneously cannot afford gaps in safety monitoring, and an evidence recovery that lacks a complete chain of custody from the bottom of the lake to the courtroom is a chain of custody that a defence lawyer will attack.
Argus Dive Team Operations covers the complete lifecycle of public safety dive missions, from pre-dive planning and equipment checks through real-time safety monitoring, post-dive documentation, and evidence chain of custody. The platform supports police and fire dive teams, search and rescue units, and multi-agency water operations across the full range of underwater missions.
Open Standards#
- NENA-STA-010.3 (Emergency Incident Data Object, EIDO): Callout receipt and real-time incident data exchange with Computer-Aided Dispatch systems use the NENA EIDO JSON format, ensuring dive team deployments are synchronised with the wider dispatch ecosystem.
- OASIS EDXL-RM 1.0 (Emergency Data Exchange Language, Resource Messaging): Multi-agency mutual aid resource requests and responses, such as specialist dive team or equipment requests from neighbouring agencies, are serialised and exchanged using EDXL-RM 1.0.
- OASIS EDXL-DE 2.0 (Emergency Data Exchange Language, Distribution Element): Inter-agency situation reports and resource messages are wrapped in the EDXL-DE 2.0 envelope for routing, addressing, and distribution across federation peers during complex or prolonged water operations.
- W3C Verifiable Credentials Data Model v2.0: Evidence items recovered underwater are assigned cryptographically signed Verifiable Credentials (Ed25519/ES256) that establish provenance and support chain-of-custody integrity from initial recovery through to court proceedings.
- IETF RFC 7946 (GeoJSON): Search pattern geometries, diver GPS trails, and recovery site coordinates are stored and exchanged as GeoJSON features with WGS-84 (EPSG:4326) coordinates, enabling interoperability with mapping and command systems.
- ISO 8601: All dive log timestamps, entry and exit times, bottom time, decompression stops, and post-dive documentation, are recorded in ISO 8601 format to ensure consistent, timezone-aware time-series data across multi-agency operations.
- OAuth 2.0 / RFC 7519 (JSON Web Token): Platform access for dispatchers, dive supervisors, and investigators is governed by OAuth 2.0 bearer tokens encoded as JWTs, with scope-gated endpoints controlling sensitive evidence and DSAR operations.
Last Reviewed: 2026-02-05 Last Updated: 2026-04-14
Key Features#
Dive Operations Management#
Complete mission lifecycle control from callout through final documentation. Pre-dive planning tools cover site assessment including water depth, bottom composition, visibility, currents, temperature, and entry and exit points. Mission objectives, team selection based on certification and experience, equipment requirement checklists, risk analysis, and safety protocol establishment are all managed within the platform and documented before the first diver enters the water.
Real-Time Operations Tracking#
Live operational awareness during active dive operations. The dive status board shows who is underwater, dive time elapsed, planned bottom time, maximum depth reached, estimated air supply remaining, and buddy assignments. Communication logs capture all surface-to-diver exchanges. Search pattern tracking covers grid, circular, and shoreline approaches with completion percentage. Safety monitoring generates alerts on dive time limits, depth exceedance, air supply thresholds, and buddy separation.
Post-Dive Documentation#
Automated generation of detailed dive logs including entry and exit times, maximum depth, bottom time, air consumption, decompression stops, and water conditions. Recovery reports document all evidence recovered, body recoveries, negative search results, and site mapping. Post-dive equipment inspection records, debriefing notes, and medical surveillance documentation ensure complete operational accountability.
Equipment Tracking#
Complete dive gear management from procurement through retirement. Personal dive gear, team equipment, recovery tools, safety equipment, documentation equipment, and support equipment are all tracked. Preventive maintenance scheduling covers annual regulator service, BCD inspections, tank hydrostatic testing, and compressor maintenance. Pre-dive readiness checks and air supply management are documented in the mission record.
Safety Protocols#
Safety verification covers medical fitness confirmation, certification validation, fitness assessment, equipment safety checks, safety briefing completion, and weather assessment before any operation begins. During operations, the platform enforces buddy system compliance monitoring, depth and air management tracking, and decompression safety controls. Emergency procedures for lost diver, out-of-air, entanglement, equipment failure, and medical emergency scenarios are accessible on the dive status board.
Evidence Recovery#
Specialised underwater evidence location and recovery procedures including search pattern selection and documentation, visual search and underwater metal detection methods, underwater marking systems, and photographic documentation before evidence is disturbed. Recovery procedures cover pre-recovery documentation, contamination prevention, underwater packaging, surface transfer protocols, preservation methods, and forensic coordination. Chain of custody is documented from initial contact with the evidence underwater through to prosecution.
Training and Certification Management#
Track all certifications for every team member including basic public safety diver qualifications, specialty certifications such as ice diving and contaminated water operations, leadership credentials, medical clearances, and CPR and first aid. Training programme management covers initial certification, skills maintenance, scenario exercises, equipment training, and instructor development.
Environmental Monitoring#
Water conditions assessment covering temperature, visibility, current speed, depth, bottom composition, and contamination. Weather integration monitors wind conditions, wave height, lightning risk, air temperature, and precipitation. Historical data analysis identifies seasonal patterns and correlates conditions with operational outcomes for improved planning.
Use Cases#
- Drowning Recovery: Rapid deployment with systematic search patterns, real-time operational tracking, evidence-quality documentation of recovery, medical examiner coordination, and family liaison support.
- Vehicle in Water: High-risk operation management for submerged vehicle assessment, occupant recovery, evidence documentation, vehicle extraction coordination, and crash investigation support.
- Evidence Search: Methodical multi-day search operations with grid-based lane tracking, metal detection sweeps, complete evidence processing with chain of custody, and court-ready documentation.
- Crime Scene Investigation: Underwater crime scene documentation with systematic photography, site mapping, evidence recovery and preservation, and forensic coordination for court admissibility.
Integration#
Connects with CAD and RMS systems, evidence management platforms, training management systems, and equipment lifecycle tracking. Supports multi-agency mutual aid coordination and integrates with command staff, investigators, medical examiners, and supporting agencies for complex operations.