Ready for anything
Firefighters brave icy waters for practice

Feb 29, 2008

The cold weather didn't stop more than 35 volunteer firefighters from taking to the Mianus River this past Sunday morning to practice life-saving rescue skills. Donning cold-water rescue suits, firefighters took turns entering the ice-covered river to perform simulated rescues.

It is this training and equipment that officials say is needed to conduct a safe rescue of someone that has fallen through the ice. "If you see someone in distress, you should call 911 immediately," said John Cunningham, Assistant Chief of the Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department.

"Hang-on, a rescuer is on his way to you," yells a firefighter to a "victim" that is approximately 25 feet from shore." Moments later, the firefighter enters the frigid water, quickly making his way to the victim using an ice rescue sled.

For members of the Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department and other fire companies in Greenwich, the training was a refresher on how to safely and efficiently rescue a victim from the freezing water. While the weather this winter has been relatively mild, the risks associated with the cold and ice covered rivers and ponds still exist.

"Venturing out onto the ice can be extremely dangerous without the appropriate training and equipment," said Assistant Chief Cunningham. "It is best to keep off of any ice covered body of water unless it has been properly checked and marked as being safe to walk on by officials."

"The ice can be very misleading," said District Chief Alan Yantorno. "You may think that there is enough ice to support a person but, as we have seen during this training exercise, rescuers fell through the ice shortly after walking out from the shore." The river was covered with about one inch of ice and a thin layer of slushy snow.

To protect rescuers from the elements, they wear a special cold-water rescue suit. These suits keep the rescuer dry and warm, allowing them to enter the below freezing water. Each rescuer is tethered to a person on the shore so that they can be quickly brought back with the victim.

Members of the Sound Beach Volunteer Fire Department's Dive Team were also on-scene practicing underwater search and rescue. The dive team trains year-round in various types of water conditions.

"It is important that our divers are comfortable diving in an over-head environment, such as ice," Assistant Chief Cunningham said.

In the event a person submerges before a rescuer can reach them on the surface, a diver will be sent to begin a search of the area. The Dive Team is made up of volunteers from Sound Beach and is funded primarily through donations from the community.

Riverside Acres Association provided access to the river. Garden Catering and the Upper Crust Bagel Company, the Cos Cob Fire Department's Ladies Auxiliary and Starbucks for providing refreshments and food.

For more information, visit Soundbeachfire.org .


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