Dick Rutkowski

Richard "Dick" Rutkowski

Richard "Dick" Rutkowski is a pioneer in the fields of hyperbaric medicine, diving medicine and diver training, especially in relation to the use of breathing gases.

Mr Rutkowski joined the US government service 1950 and served during the Korean War. As a government civilian he served until 1970 when NOAA was established. He worked at NOAA from 1970 until 1985 as Deputy Diving Coordinator, Director of the NOAA Miami Hyperbaric Facility and Director of NOAA Diver Training. While at NOAA he founded the NOAA Diving/Hyperbaric Training and Diver Treatment Facility in 1973, and served as a director until 1985. He also served as co-director for the Physician's Diving and Hyperbaric Medical Training Program. During this time, hundreds of physicians have completed this program and are presently serving as directors and/or physicians for major hyperbaric facilities in the US and abroad.

After retiring from NOAA, Mr Rutkowski formed Hyperbarics International, Inc. He is also past president of the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society, Gulf Coast Chapter.

He was also the founder of American Nitrox Divers International (ANDI), The International Association of Nitrox and Technical Divers (IANTD), and the Undersea Research Foundation (URF).

In the 1970s Mr Rutkowski taught the first diving emergency and accident management courses, including stressing the importance of oxygen use at the dive site by non-professionals. In 1978, Dick Rutkowski wrote and published the first diving accident management manual setting the standard used by the Divers Alert Network.

According to a March 2004 edition of Rodale's Scuba Diving magazine, "In the process of overcoming the negative hype surrounding oxygen-enriched air, he also gave us one of his other significant contributions to diving—a now famous quote—"Science Always Wins Over Bullshit."

His publications include Instructor/Student Guide for the Use of Nitrogen-Oxygen Mixtures as a Divers' Breathing Gas, The Complete Guide to Nitrox Diving, Introduction to Nitrox Diving, Instructor/Student Guide for the Use of Breathing Gases During Hyperbaric Exposures, and Mixing/Blending for Nitrox and Trimix. He has also been a contributor and editor of the NOAA Diving Manual and training films.

Honors

Honors and awards that Dick Rutkowski has received include:

• having a glacier in Antarctica named after him in 1976 by the US Board of Geographic Names
• the 1976 NOAA Public Service Award
• nomination for the 1976 Dade County (Florida) Outstanding Citizen Award

External links

• Brief history of IANTD
• Dick Rutkowski - IANTD bio
• Dick Rutkowski - Sterlingdivers.com
• IANTD board of directors

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