UNIT HISTORY

The River Rescue Unit was formed in March of 1986 by combining the efforts of the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services' SCUBA Search & Rescue Unit with those of the Bureau of Police River Patrol. The Paramedics who staff the Unit are Certified Master  SCUBA divers and are primarily responsible for rescues and administering emergency medical care. The Police Officers are primarily responsible for piloting the various rescue crafts as well as law enforcement including the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Code.  All personnel are trained in various levels of water rescue.

MISSION

The primary mission of the Unit is to respond to water borne emergencies in the City of Pittsburgh.  This includes the 'Three' rivers as well as various inland locations.  In addition to responding to river rescues, the Unit also provides the same high levels of pre-hospital emergency medical care and law enforcement on our waterways as the Paramedics and Police Officers on the streets of Pittsburgh.   The Unit is an integral part of the waterways community providing assistance to the largest number of registered recreational boats in
Pennsylvania as well as assisting the commercial
industry in the largest inland port in the United States.