| Even before Sarah fell through the ice on the Great South Bay on January 17th, the Sayville Fire Department's January calendar listed an "Ice Rescue Refresher Class" for later that week.
Because the Sayville Fire District includes many bodies of water such as the Great South Bay, ponds, streams and lakes, firefighters must be ready to handle water and ice emergencies. Each year, volunteers of the Sayville Fire Department attend this class to refresh their members on the procedures for handling an ice rescue, which is a very dangerous operation for firefighters and the victims.
During the lecture part of the drill, Ex-Captain Robert Smith and Captain William Roderka went over each person's responsibility during an ice rescue, which is labor intensive. Topics included safety, how to properly wear a rescue suit, how to get out onto the ice and get the patient back to shore while other members of the team are assigned to monitor the condition of the ice, progress of the rescue, tendering ropes, and whether or not there is a need to commit additional rescuers to the ice. In addition, they spoke about the tools available to help them while they are on the ice including ice picks, poles, ropes, harnesses, buoyancy sling, ice sled and floating rescue basket
Mother Nature doesn't always provide the frigid temperatures needed for an ideal hands-on training scenario, but this year temperatures were well below freezing. Earlier in the morning several members scouted for a spot to hold the hands on portion of the ice rescue drill and a decision was made to have the drill on The Great South Bay.
To make the drill as realistic as possible, a firefighter wearing a dry suit entered the ice and made a hole big enough for them to enter the water (he was tethered to a rope manned by fellow firefighters for safety). Firefighters practiced rescuing the victim by entering the ice with their dry suits using their ice picks, ropes, life rings and the ice sled while members of their team on shore were at work manning the ropes and monitoring the situation. Some of the ice held up and some of it broke through during the rescue scenario…a near perfect situation for training purposes.
The Sayville Fire Department would like to remind everyone that "NO ICE IS SAFE ICE" in this region partly due to changing temperatures and water currents. Please keep off the ice. We may be prepared to make a rescue, but it is very dangerous for the rescuers as well as the person who falls through. Remember Sarah, who fell through the ice in January? She was very lucky. The next person who falls through the ice may not be. |
