Firefighters practice rescues in icy water

By Martin B. Cassidy
Staff Writer

January 23, 2008

Atop an ice and water rescue sled, Greenwich firefighter Thomas Pitasi plunged into the icy green brine of Cos Cob Harbor toward a fellow firefighter playing victim in the murky water.

Once Pitasi tethered the other firefighter onto a floating board, others hauled the device in using a specially designed rope system that simultaneously dragged the victim onto the board.

Pitasi said the saltwater ice made it difficult to get to the victim.

"It was tough making forward progress even with that extremely thin ice," Pitasi said. "It takes a lot of energy."

In the blustery cold yesterday morning, career firefighters donned insulated plastic suits and conducted cold water rescue drills to hone their skills for winter water rescue and other life or death drowning emergencies.

All 107 career personnel are receiving the training this week.

Before the drill, Greenwich Deputy Fire Chief Keith Millette demonstrated how to secure a victim to the floating sled, which utilizes a pulley system to make it easier to pull a victim to safety.

"I want you guys to understand that this will be a very valuable tool for you," Millette said.

Firefighter Mark Dawson, who taught the course with Millette, told firefighters that getting the right information in a drowning situation can be difficult, especially if it has been reported as a missing person case and a parent is already upset and doesn't mention a swimming pool or other body of water nearby.

Before their field drill, firefighters evaluated real-life videos of successful and unsuccessful open water and swimming pool rescue efforts by firefighters and evaluated what mistakes to avoid.

In one tragic incident reported as a missing person case, Florida police and firefighters realized too late that a child disappeared into a murky swimming pool. The child was not able to be revived, Dawson said.

Dawson said that ideally 911 dispatchers will assess whether a pool or other body of water is nearby and if fire and medical personnel should be on hand.

"Not to knock these guys, but what do we see?" Dawson said after the video. "Poor information, which led to poor communication and response. They began their search too late."

Cold water rescue is a special concern this winter, Dawson said, as some of the town's fresh water ponds and streams start to freeze over, tempting youngsters to skate or walk on thin ice.

Alternating spells of temperate and freezing weather this winter make it hazardous to assess whether ice is stable.

"Just because it is cold for two or three days of freezing weather doesn't mean the water is frozen," Dawson said. "The constant up and down in temperatures is a recipe for disaster on ice."

In February 2006, two firefighters rescued a 13-year-old Frost Road girl who plunged through cracked pond ice.

Dawson said most often, firefighters rescue dogs who fall through ice, a situation which raises the risk that owners or other onlookers might endanger themselves trying to rescue the animals, Dawson said.

"Then you have two victims, a person and a dog," Dawson said. "You're going to save the person first."

Because ice rescue emergencies don't arise on regular basis, Dawson said it was even more imperative that firefighters handle the equipment in a field drill.

"You need time with the suit and equipment to know what it's like," Dawson said. "With the equipment, especially the sled, there are a lot of moving parts and takes more skill to operate properly."

Greenwich firefighter Michael Mencel, left, rescues fellow firefighter Chris Pratico during an ice/water rescue training exercise in Cos Cob Harbor yesterday morning.
(Bob Luckey Jr./Staff photo)