Dive Team

The Pierce County Metro Dive Team is comprised of nine members of the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, two members of the Tacoma Police Department and one member of the Lakewood Police Department.  For all personnel, it is an extra-duty assignment and requires them to be part of the Swift Water Team as well.

Training & Missions

The Metro Dive Team’s Public Safety Divers train on average twice each month and respond to roughly 60-70 calls for service each year.  Members regularly respond to rescues, recoveries and evidence searches.

They are trained in flood operations, current diving, hull/pier sweeps, salvage/lift operations, haz-mat diving, sonar operations, ROV operations, the use of underwater metal detectors, evidence collection, and ice operations.  They are requested for most all in-water related death investigations and at many water safety (community event) demonstrations.  

Due to the equipment the Pierce County Metro Dive team operates, they are looked upon as a regional team. As a result, their assistance is often requested by different agencies within the state.  

The Metro Dive Team trains throughout the region which takes them from high mountain lakes and rivers to freeway retention ponds and in the Puget Sound for Port operations.  The demand placed on the Pierce County Metro Dive Team requires training, professionalism and attention to detail in every mission.