MA Firefighters Train for Ice Rescues

For some, falling through the ice on a frozen lake is the thing of nightmares. For some members of various fire departments across Massachusetts, going through the ice is all in a days work.

For most New Englanders, walking out onto a frozen body of water deep into frigid winter is no big deal. But Mark McCabe, program coordinator for the Massachusetts Firefighting Academy, cautions that “the only safe ice is in a rink.”

In January, Firefighters took to Fawn Lake in Bedford, Mass., where they were trained on everything involved in ice rescues, from how to properly wear protective waterproof suits that offer additional buoyancy and insulation to deploying inflatable rafts. The crews also worked on feeding an air-filled hose for victims out on the ice, and how to safely approach victims on thin ice to place them in harnesses.

• Related: Cambridge firefighters rescue woman from frigid waters of Charles River

The dangers of walking on ice cannot be overstated, however. When a victim falls through, McCabe says to immediately call 911. With response times hovering between three to four minutes, victims still don’t have a lot of time once responders arrive.

• Related: 2 people rescued, hospitalized after falling through ice at Shrewsbury pond

“If you can reach somebody from the shoreline, do that. But don’t go out and try and to rescue somebody,” he said. “Its probably best not to go out on the ice at all.”

Check out MassLive’s video of the training here.

• Related: Drone footage shows icy lake rescue of person, dog on Wellesley College

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