The Geary County Sheriff and Junction City Fire Departments are working to forma joint public service dive rescue and recovery team.

Sheriff Daniel Jackson said the first step was a scuba assessment to determine the ability of prospective members, followed by a swim assessment that consisted of a 350-yard swim, 25-yard underwater swim, a 10-minute tread and a 25-yard swim to the deep end of a pool to retrieve a 10-pound brick from the bottom of that pool.

Jackson said the final dive team will consist of 12 members. “We’ll be available statewide once we are up and running.” He estimated it will probably be six or seven months before the team is fully trained. The first step will be training in a pool followed by two trips this fall to Beaver Lake in Arkansas for open water training. The next step will be to attend a public safety dive rescue school.

Jackson noted in the past they tried but the equipment and training needed for upgrading enforcement and rescue at Milford Lake were not available. “I think we’re getting there now so the next time we get confronted with something I think we’ll be much more prepared.”

The Sheriff’s Department has also added two boats for water patrol and rescue use and other equipment to equip those boats.