Photo by Teemu Virtanen · CC BY-SA 3.0
First Responder
Management-oriented accident scene program for incident response and recovery operations in cave diving emergencies. First Responder is a primarily academic classroom course with no underwater skill requirements, designed to train advanced divers in fatality investigation procedures, scene management protocols, and recovery techniques specific to cave diving accidents. The course emphasizes decision-making under stress and coordination of complex recovery operations.
Prerequisites
Advanced Cave Diver status or instructor-level cave diving experience, minimum 18 years old.
Standards
What a diver must demonstrate to pass this course — not always published by the certifying agency.
Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of cave diving accident investigation, scene management protocols, recovery procedures, fatality handling protocols, decision-making frameworks for complex rescue scenarios, leadership skills for incident management, stress management, and ethical considerations in cave accident response. Knowledge-based assessment through classroom materials and examinations.
Instructors Teaching This Course
Mexico
United States
Dive Centres Offering This Course
Mexico
We're still building out the directory country by country, so this list isn't every instructor or dive centre teaching it in the world — more locations are coming soon.
Common questions about NSS-CDS First Responder
What are the prerequisites for NSS-CDS First Responder?
NSS-CDS's standards require: Advanced Cave Diver status or instructor-level cave diving experience, minimum 18 years old.
What is the minimum age for NSS-CDS First Responder?
NSS-CDS's standards state: Minimum 18 years old.
What does NSS-CDS First Responder training involve?
According to NSS-CDS's published standards: Demonstrate comprehensive understanding of cave diving accident investigation, scene management protocols, recovery procedures, fatality handling protocols, decision-making frameworks for complex rescue scenarios, leadership skills for incident management, stress management, and ethical considerations in cave accident response. Knowledge-based assessment through classroom materials and examinations.
Where can I take NSS-CDS First Responder?
1 dive centre and 2 instructors in the TecDiveTools directory teach NSS-CDS First Responder, in Mexico and the United States. Each is listed further up this page.