Members Train for Ice Rescue Emergencies

Members of Rescue 13 and Ladder 24 spent their Sunday morning reviewing and training on ice rescue operations.  The crews practiced rescuing simulated victims from the water.  Ice rescue operations require quick action from our personnel to have a successful outcome.  Victims exposed to water hovering around the freezing mark will begin to suffer from hypothermia in minutes.  Human body heat is lost 25 times faster in water than when exposed to air and death can occur in as little as 15 minutes. 


Members practice getting back on top of the ice after
entering the water


Our members must first be prepared to take care of themselves.  Members dressed in exposure suites can operate on the ice and in the water with limited exposure to the cold.  Here the rescuers review basic self rescue techniques for getting themselves back up on the surface of the ice after entering the water.

The crews then spent time reviewing the use of the ice rescue sling to remove a victim from the water.  It is important that the members are proficient with the equipment and how to deploy it rapidly.  A victim in the water may only have a few minutes left after our arrival before they succumb to hypothermia.

The goal of the is that once the rescuer reaches the victim they will gain positive control of the victim and not lose contact with them.  Once in the sling the victim is attached to the retrieval line and pulled back to shore with the rescuer. 

The companies finished up the training by reviewing shore based rescue using a hose inflation kit and two lengths of 2 1/2" hose.  It is important for the first due companies to have a knowledge of what actions they can take to help stabilize the patient and keep them buoyant until the arrival of the rescue company.

Firefighters practice placing a victim in the ice rescue sling

Even if the victim can't be removed using the inflated hose the added buoyancy can help keep them above the water until a rescuer can reach them.  The hose also provides a large object that is easier for the victim to hold onto as they lose dexterity in their hand from the exposure to the cold water.