Members of the Palatine Water Rescue Team provide underwater rescue and recovery services in all areas protected by the Palatine Fire Department, the Palatine Rural Fire Protection District, and the Rolling Meadows Fire Department. They also respond to other towns throughout the Chicagoland area through MABAS (Mutual Aid Box Alarm System).
The Water Rescue Team currently has 18 members. All members are required to maintain their dive status by obtaining monthly dive training, performing a minimum of 5 open water dives per year, 1 ice dive, an annual skills review, and an annual swim test.
In addition to emergency responses, the Team provides water rescue standby for planned water events in the community. In a typical year, our team has surface rescuers and divers in place for the Special Olympics Polar Plunge and for the Twin Lakes Triathlon.
