The Good Life – September-October 2014

their skills once a month, each and
every month of the year. It matters
not how cold or how hot the last
Monday of each month may be,
if one wants to remain an active
member on the team, he/she must
attend at least 66 percent of all their
training exercises. This requirement
is a mandate in order to keep every
member of their rescue team safe.
The men, and three women, who
belong to the Valley Water Rescue
team don thermal underwear and
dry suits, full face masks, air tanks,
air hoses plus at least 30 pounds of
extra leaded weights for balancing
the buoyancy of their dry suits, and
fins. They are also connected to
communication pieces in order to
let their team members know what
they are finding. The time of year it
may be has no bearing on when or
if the team practices. It might be in
90 degrees or in frigid temperatures
as low as 30 below. The VWR
members do all this in the pursuit
and belief that “practice makes
perfect,” or at least will aid in their
survival while they are rescuing or
recovering someone who took a
nasty spill into a very dark place.
DIVERS AND TENDERS
My question “is everyone a
diver” was answered with a definite
“no.” There are members of the
VWR who indeed do a lot of the
diving for rescue/recovery. However, none of them would be able to
do so without their trusted partners: “Diver number 2,” and especially
their “Tender,” an apt description for the team member who will make
absolutely certain the diver preparing to enter the water is geared up and
down with everything they need and that all instruments are a ten-four to
go.
Sherry Johnson from West Fargo, a tiny woman weighing in at about
90 pounds soaking wet from head to toe, has been a member of the Valley
Water Rescue crew for 13 years and one of Valley Water Rescue’s longest
serving Tenders. Johnson, easily three times smaller than most of the very
athletic and robust men she serves with commands with an attitude no
one dares to challenge. Sherry explains how she views what her job as
Tender means, “they do it the right way or they don’t go in.”
As we all gathered under the First Avenue North Bridge, a couple of
divers were busy scoping out where to enter the water. It was decided not
to try the dive here due to finding too much glass that might wind up
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