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In a dive emergency, whether the diver is suffering from decompression sickness or an arterial gas embolism, the primary first aid treatment to offer is oxygen first aid.
Diving injuries or accidents may result in:
- Blocked blood supply to various body tissues.
- Damaged tissues obstructing effective gas exchange.
- Swelling of the damaged tissues.
Oxygen first aid may provide these important benefits:
- Reduce bubble size - it increases the pressure gradient from the bubble to the surrounding tissues to allow for a more efficient elimination of nitrogen.
- Oxygenate hypoxic tissues.
- Reduce tissue edema - tissue swelling may be reduced due to reversing the hypoxic process and because oxygen is a mild vasoconstrictor.
- In some cases, increased oxygen concentrations may ease breathing.
- Relieve symptoms.
- Reduce the risk of residual symptoms after hyperbaric treatment.
To give the greatest benefit for the injured diver, provide the highest concentration of oxygen possible - 100 percent oxygen is recommended.
Through the Oxygen Grant Program, DAN provides emergency oxygen units to deserving departments and organizations by providing DAN Oxygen Units to public safety diving teams and/or organizations that can demonstrate critical operational and financial need. These grant requests are decided on a case-by-case basis. Training in the use of the equipment by attending a DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course is a mandatory requirement to being considered for the grant.
Purpose:
The purpose of the Oxygen Grant program is to assist those organizations in the DAN America territory that have a connection to diving (see definition in criteria) or aquatics and can demonstrate a genuine need of oxygen in the pursuit of their interaction with the dive or aquatics communities.
Goal:
The goal of the Oxygen Grant program is to place three (3) oxygen units every three (3) months (February, May, August, and November of each year). Note: DAN reserves the right to award more units than the amount stated.
Funding:
This program is funded completely by donations.
Program Process:
Grant cycles close the final business day in January, April, July, and October. Grant requests must be received prior to 5:00 p.m. on these days to be considered for the respective grant cycle. Grant requests will then be reviewed for adherence to Oxygen Grant submission guidelines. Only those applications meeting these guidelines will be considered. All others will be returned to the originator referring to submission requirements and inviting to resubmit for a future grant cycle once all guidelines have been completed.
Copies of those applications meeting all guidelines will be forwarded to the members of the Oxygen Grant Selection Committee after the close of each grant cycle for review and consideration. Discussions to determine recipients of an Oxygen Kit will occur at subsequently scheduled Oxygen Grant Selection Committee meetings.
Though Oxygen Grant Committee meetings are held as scheduled, special meetings may be called in the event of special circumstances.
Notifications, both approvals and denials, will be sent once outcome is determined by the committee and no later than the end of the grant cycle (February, May, August, and November respectively).
Criteria for Oxygen Grant Program:
- Must have a connection to diving (recreational, public service, commercial dive entity not dealing with recreational diving) or the aquatics field (public swimming pool, etc.)
- Must have a demonstrable need as determined by the grant committee.
- Must have at least two people on staff who are current in the Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course or Oxygen First Aid for Aquatics Injuries course or at least one DAN Instructor or DAN Instructor Trainer certified to teach one of these programs.
- Must be able to provide a central, safe, but accessible location to store the oxygen unit where it will do the most good. If the oxygen unit itself can’t be immediately accessible, signs must be displayed to show that it is available and where. Photographs showing the placement of the unit as well as a copy of the protocol for use must be provided to DAN within 30 days of delivery of unit.
- Must be based in the DAN America region.
- Cannot be a Federal Government Organization.
Frequently Asked Questions
Download Oxygen Grant Program Application & Details (PDF: 40 KB)
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