DAN Oxygen Grant Program

Through the Oxygen Grant Program, DAN provides emergency oxygen units to public safety diving teams 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 Emergency Oxygen for Scuba Diving Injuries course is a mandatory requirement to being considered for the grant.

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.

Policies and Procedures

Purpose: The purpose of the Oxygen Grant Program is to assist those organizations in the DAN America, DAN World or DAN Brasil regions 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 oxygen units every three 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 entirely by donations.

Program process: Grant cycles close the final business day in January, April, July and October. Grant requests must be received before 5 p.m. Eastern time on these days to be considered for the respective grant cycle. Grant requests will be reviewed for adherence to the Oxygen Grant Program submission guidelines. Only applications meeting these guidelines will be considered. All others will be returned to the originator referring to submission requirements and inviting a resubmission for a future grant cycle once all guidelines have been completed.

Copies of applications meeting all guidelines will be forwarded to 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 unit will occur at subsequently scheduled Oxygen Grant Selection Committee meetings.

Although 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 the committee determines an outcome and no later than the end of the grant cycle (February, May, August and November).

Criteria for Oxygen Grant Program selection:

Must have a connection to diving (recreational, public service, commercial dive entity not dealing with recreational diving).

Must have a demonstrable need as determined by the grant committee.

Must have at least two people on staff who are current in the DAN Oxygen First Aid for Scuba Diving Injuries course or at least one DAN Instructor or DAN Instructor Trainer certified to teach that program.

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 cannot 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 the unit.

Must be based in the DAN America, DAN World or DAN Brasil regions.

Cannot be a federal government organization.

Frequently Asked Questions

We live outside the DAN America region but want to apply for an oxygen grant. Can you help us?

The Oxygen Grant Program is available only to those in the DAN America, DAN World or DAN Brasil regions.

How do you decide what oxygen unit we receive?

The decision on which oxygen unit to award is based on what the committee feels is in the best interest of the applicant and is ultimately determined from the details provided in the application.

Who pays for maintenance of the oxygen unit?

All costs for maintenance and replacement supplies are the responsibility of the recipient.

Donate to the DAN Oxygen Grant Program.

Download the DAN Oxygen Grant Program application and guidelines (PDF: 87 KB).

Read the DAN Grant Program Frequently Asked Questions.