Cold Water/Ice Rescue!

Over the past week, Instructors delivered a Cold Water/Ice Rescue program hosted by the Durham Fire Company. Participants gathered for a classroom lecture and discussion on Tuesday, February 18 in Durham to discuss important concepts concerning ice rescue, types of equipment, incident action plans and operations. On Saturday, February 22, students gathered in Killingworth for practical exercises. Instructors displayed a variety of equipment and students got to practice using all components. Participants in this delivery included members of Durham Fire, Killingworth Fire, Middlefield Fire and the Durham Animal Response Team (DART). Students got to donning cold water suits and headed out on the ice where they rotated through accessing a patient in the water and using different options to apply flotation and haul them back to land. After the skill stations, students were placed in a practical scenario where two victims were located in the water. Students were instructed to utilized any of the equipment and skills they had been shown during the course to operate in the simulated emergency environment. Incident Command and Operational roles were established and tasks assigned by participating officers. Students did an excellent job in applying their learned skills to effect a quick and efficient rescue.

A huge thank you to the Venuti family for hosting the practical exercises at their property and providing a warm place to gather after time out in the cold. We would also like to thank our participating students for their enthusiasm for learning during this program. Pictures are courtesy of various participating students.

Send us a request to host this program today!