Fire departments train for ice rescue

Photo: A.M. Sheehan

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OXFORD — A day of ice fishing or a ride on a snowmobile can quickly turn tragic.

The recent spate of people falling through ice and drowning has prompted Norway and Paris fire departments to equip with cold water rescue gear.

Sunday, the two departments joined Poland at the Oxford Fire and Rescue barn to learn how to use the equipment.

Oxford Fire Department Captain Shawn Cordwell, EMT-P, was the lead instructor.

The first hour was spent in the classroom learning about the different aspects of a cold water rescue with anecdotal examples. Questions were answered, the equipment was displayed and the mixed group of men and women from the various departments enthusiastically trooped out to the bay to watch a demo of how to put on the two types of suits – an ice/water rescue suit (similar to a wet suit) and an immersion suit (similar to a plastic snow suit).

Both are one-piece suits which includes boots, gloves and hoods. The only exposed portion of the body is the face. Each costs about $600.

The other gear in which Paris and Norway have invested is rope.

Norway has purchased four suits and Paris three. Neither department has trained although individual members of each have trained with other departments.

Oxford Fire Department has had cold water rescue gear for 20 some odd years, according to Cordwell, and Poland has also had equipment for years. Sunday was the first official training for both Norway and Paris.

After learning how to put the suits on properly, personnel jumped in their cars and headed off to Pismo Beach at Thompson Lake in Oxford. The air temp by the lake was frigid.

First, holes had to cut through the ice which, at about 300 feet from shore, was eight inches or so thick, according to those wielding the chain saws.

With suits from Paris, Poland, Oxford and Norway, everyone was able to have a turn practicing a rescue.

The two main jobs in a rescue are the rescuer(s) – those in a suit who may or may not end up in the water and those on land at the other end of the rope tethering the rescuer. Both jobs are crucial.

With two holes in the ice – one in water about four feet deep and the other in much deeper water – teams practiced crawling out, dragging a ladder out and pulling the "victim" out of the water while the land crew kept the ropes taut or slack as directed.

Meanwhile, George Gardner, EMT-B, gave demonstrations on land with the Rescue Alive rescue platform which enables rescuers to transverse the ice or water, pull the victim on board and return to land. The device copes with a paddle and ice pick and can be used on ice or water.

Gardner, a firefighter and EMT, trains fire departments statewide in ice, cold, swift and open water rescue. He recently did a hypothermia training at Fryeburg FD in hypothermia and is slated to train at Otisfield, Sabbattus and Casco in the coming weeks.

Although the ice was thick near the shore, the rescue personnel noted that there was still open water near the center of the lake and the ice thinned as you got closer to the open water.

They urged caution when venturing onto the ice, especially at night when it is difficult to see, especially on a snowmobile.

Taking into consideration the minutes it takes to call 911, dispatch rescue, for personnel to get from station and/or home to the scene ... the time goes swiftly.

Gardner highly recommends anyone going on the ice for any reason to get themselves ice escape picks. They are small (about five inches) and on a cord that goes around the neck. They will fit into pockets, he said, and if someone falls through they just push the buttons on the ends exposing the picks and can pull themselves out of the water with them.

Some brands available are called Pick of Life, Rescue Grip Ice Awls and Celsius Ice Escape Rescue Picks. They average from $10 to $15 and are available at sporting goods stores.

"A person has 15 minutes before losing consciousness from hypothermia," said Cordwell.

Photo: A.M. Sheehan

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Photo: A.M. Sheehan

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Photo: A.M. Sheehan

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Photo: A.M. Sheehan

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Photo: A.M. Sheehan

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