[Date]

Dear [Senator, Representative, Committee Member, Council Member, etc.],

The state of Florida is experiencing a crisis in emergency medical resources available to the SCUBA diving public. In the event a SCUBA diver is injured due to some form of decompression illness (DCI), in most cases, the treatment requires recompression in a hyperbaric chamber as quickly as possible. In the state of Florida, there are currently 200 medical facilities that offer hyperbaric treatment for a variety of maladies. Only three facilities in the entire state, however, will accept divers for treatment. These facilities are located in Ft. Myers, Miami, and Key Largo, leaving an overwhelming length of Florida coastline unsupported by medical assistance. According to Divers Alert Network, the lack of hyperbaric treatment facilities is a nationwide problem; the hardest hit state has been Florida, with seven facilities no longer available to treat DCI.1 Several recent fatal diving incidents were most likely a result of delayed treatment due to travel distance to a proper treatment facility. In these incidences, closer hyperbaric facilities were operational, but no longer treated dive-related injuries like DCI.

Florida counties, chambers of commerce, and tourism boards aggressively market to divers all over the world, enticing them to visit the incredible natural and artificial reefs, caves, and dive sites that Florida offers. These marketing efforts bring tens of thousands of divers to the state every year, supporting a large segment of the Florida tourism economy, as well as tax revenues enjoyed by the state and local governments. Recreational diving constitutes a significant percentage of dive-related activity in Florida. During the first three quarters of 2016, approximately 11,655 open water divers were certified in the state.2 With a massive number of newly certified divers each year and an equally sizeable number of dives taking place in Florida, hyperbaric treatment facilities throughout the state are a necessity.

SCUBA activities are not exclusive to recreational dive enthusiasts; many other organizations utilize diving for community benefit. These organizations include Escambia Search and Rescue (ESAR), local Sheriff and Police Departments, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the State University System of Florida, and the Navarre Beach Marine Science Station, among many others. The University of West Florida Scientific Diving Program alone performs over 1,500 dives per year. Federal agencies tasked with protecting our waterways and marine resources likewise conduct a considerable amount of their SCUBA training in state waters. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) trains divers from numerous agencies at its facility at Little Sabine on Pensacola Beach. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BEOM), and Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement similarly conduct a significant number of training dives in Florida waters.

The need for hyperbaric treatment facilities for SCUBA divers throughout Florida is urgent and extends to both recreational and organizational divers. With the limited number of facilities currently accepting SCUBA-related injuries, many divers suffering from DCI are going untreated for far too long, putting their lives and wellbeing at significant risk. As a Florida diver, I ask you to please consider supporting efforts to open more hyperbaric medical treatment facilities to SCUBA divers in Florida.

Sincerely,

[Your name][Street Address][City], [State] [Zip Code][Phone Number]

1 Divers Alert Network (DAN) Medical Frequently Asked Questions, Chamber Location and Availability, http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/faq/Chamber_Location_and_Availability.2 2016 Diving Equipment and Marketing Association (DEMA) Certification Census.