zachary harden
Keywords: divers alert network | dan |
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Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: divers alert network | dan |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
![[Divers Alert Network]](../images/i/int-dan.gif)
image by Zachary Harden, 21 February 2021
See also:
Divers Alert Network, DAN (formally International Divers Alert
Network, IDAN), is the largest association of recreational scuba
divers in the world. It is supported by membership dues and donations.
DAN's mission is to help divers in need of medical emergency
assistance and to promote dive safety through research,education,
products and diving services. Membership to the Regional chapter is
according to country of residence. It is a group of not-for-profit organizations geographically located
to cover worldwide activities, dedicated to improving diving safety
for all divers.
In 1977, Undersea Medical Society (later the Undersea and Hyperbaric
Medical Society introduced
the concept of a national organization (to replace LEO-FAST at Brooks
Air Force Base, directed by
Colonel Jefferson Davis, M.D.) where a diving medicine specialist
could be contacted by telephone 24 hours a day. Dr. Peter B. Bennett
received a two-year grant from National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) and National
Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) in September 1980
to form the "National Diving Accident Network" at the Frank G. Hall
Hyperbaric Center at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North
Carolina.
It was founded in Durham, North Carolina,
United States, in 1980 at Duke University by first providing
24/7 telephonic hot-line diving medical assistance. The need for an international organisation that would be available to
all divers, wherever they dived around the world, became increasingly
apparent and, during a meeting at DAN Headquarters in Durham, N.C.,
US, in February 1991, the process to form an International DAN was
started. The four existing organisations decided to adopt the common
name of DAN and International DAN – also known as IDAN – was
established to support the regional IDAN members - DAN America, DAN
Europe, DAN Japan, and DAN Asia-Pacific. Since then the
organization has expanded globally and now has independent regional
organizations, each with its own area of coverage in North America
(now covering most of the American continent and known as DAN America), DAN Europe (previously
designated as International Diving Assistance, IDA, established in
1983), DAN Japan
(previously designated Civil Alert Network, CAN, established in 1987), DAN Asia-Pacific
(previously designated S.E.A.P., South East Asia-Pacific and before that known as DAN
Australia) was established in 1994, DAN Southern
Africa (which joined IDAN in 1996) and DAN Brazil established in 2008. Each IDAN organization is a
nonprofit, independently administered organization. Each DAN depends
on the support of local divers to provide its safety and educational
services, such as emergency hotlines. In addition, each country has
its own rules and regulations regarding insurance. Each regional DAN
is cognizant of the insurance regulations of its territory.(Source and Source)
Esteban Rivera, 31 December 2020
Its flag is horizontal, displays the logo which resembles
the "Diver down" signal flag and on the top
right corner it features a white cross, as a symbol representing an
aid/relief organization (similar to the Red Cross) over white, but
with inverted colors since the Diver down flag precisely displays the
color red in the background with a diagonal white stripe from left to
right). The red color is Pantone PMS 485 C
Esteban Rivera, 31 December 2020
![[Divers Alert Network]](../images/i/int-dan2.gif)
image by Zachary Harden, 21 February 2021
At some point, a square-shaped ICS Alpha flag plus the white
cross in the top right corner was used as well, since this flag also stands for
a diving flag.
Esteban Rivera, 31 December 2020
