The Dive Team has evolved from its original inception of recovering bodies from drownings, to its current form as a response team with rapid recovery and resuscitation of near-drowning victims, auto retrieval, and evidence recovery.

Our beginning was humble, diving with personal and borrowed equipment to our current fully-equipped dive van. Our equipment list now consists of items such as power inflators, underwater communications, wet suits, dry suits, lift bags, and ice rescue equipment. Although we have much improved equipment, it still takes trained Firefighter/Paramedics to get the job done. We average three divers per shift, putting our total divers at nine.

Although many of the 17 lakes or ponds in the Rolling Meadows response area are small, they still pose a life hazard. The members of your Fire Department Dive Team would like to remind all to use common sense safety practices when working or playing around our lakes, ponds, and streams. Be especially careful in winter months where ice can be very dangerous.