Lakewood Fire Department Ice Rescue...
Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:13 pm
... PRACTICE
There are many reasons to live in Lakewood, the best location in the nation. But one of the best is Lakewood’s Fire, Police and City Services. I mention them together because I have lived elsewhere, I have projects in other cities and Lakewood service departments are the best. But today we are calling out and covering one of my favorites, the Lakewood Fire Department and their Ice Rescue practice.
Lakewood has over 4 miles of waterfront if you add up the lake and the river. Lakewood Fire Department covers it all. They have a series of boats, sleds, rafts, etc. to handle everything from a person over the cliff to a boat on fire 1 mile offshore. They also help out from the Cuyahoga River to Huntington Beach in an agreement with the cities and Homeland Security. While all this is interesting we have to add in one little addition. That is year round. So for every person that falls over the cliff, another person slides over the cliff. Instead of a boat on fire a mile out, we have a group of people on ice that broke away or broke through.
So when the Fire Department saw the lake freeze and the temperature drop to 17 degrees and below, it was decided to practice ice and water rescues. For the reason Lakewood Fire Department is so good is they never stop practicing.
So everyone in the water. You know the icy water that was consistantly freezing over as they practiced. Since starting this project I have grown to understand first hand what first responders go through. It is truly a high pressure job with life and death with every call a possibility.
One luck person gets to sit in the water and pretend they are drowning. Remember it is 17 degrees.
So in goes the victim…
They are shown the correct way to hook up the equipment and then proceed…
After testing the ice, this is the best way to move across it to the victim.
Based on moving the lead foot and scooting along with the knee, always ready to move if the ice cracks.
This is not a good way, if the ice breaks you could go in face first and never get back out.
You get in away from the victim and move behind them. This is true with all water rescues. People drowning are panicking,
and grab on, pull down and even try to climb over things to save their lives. This will result in two dead.
They work around to the back of the victim and put on a harness they are both connected to.
They are pulled out by the firefighters farther back in a safe location.
Who is next?
So the next two give it a try.
Then it is time to learn how to set tackle in the ice and check the thickness. In the river they can tie to a tree
or a rock, way out on the lake rescuing the person that was walking their dog and fell through, not as easy.
Miles and miles of ice that foolish people can fall through.
Thank you Lakewood Fire Department, I cannot believe how eager everyone was to jump in that water!
To see all the photos from Lakewood Fire Department Ice Rescue Practice go to:
http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/ ... e-practice
.
There are many reasons to live in Lakewood, the best location in the nation. But one of the best is Lakewood’s Fire, Police and City Services. I mention them together because I have lived elsewhere, I have projects in other cities and Lakewood service departments are the best. But today we are calling out and covering one of my favorites, the Lakewood Fire Department and their Ice Rescue practice.
Lakewood has over 4 miles of waterfront if you add up the lake and the river. Lakewood Fire Department covers it all. They have a series of boats, sleds, rafts, etc. to handle everything from a person over the cliff to a boat on fire 1 mile offshore. They also help out from the Cuyahoga River to Huntington Beach in an agreement with the cities and Homeland Security. While all this is interesting we have to add in one little addition. That is year round. So for every person that falls over the cliff, another person slides over the cliff. Instead of a boat on fire a mile out, we have a group of people on ice that broke away or broke through.
So when the Fire Department saw the lake freeze and the temperature drop to 17 degrees and below, it was decided to practice ice and water rescues. For the reason Lakewood Fire Department is so good is they never stop practicing.
So everyone in the water. You know the icy water that was consistantly freezing over as they practiced. Since starting this project I have grown to understand first hand what first responders go through. It is truly a high pressure job with life and death with every call a possibility.
One luck person gets to sit in the water and pretend they are drowning. Remember it is 17 degrees.
So in goes the victim…
They are shown the correct way to hook up the equipment and then proceed…
After testing the ice, this is the best way to move across it to the victim.
Based on moving the lead foot and scooting along with the knee, always ready to move if the ice cracks.
This is not a good way, if the ice breaks you could go in face first and never get back out.
You get in away from the victim and move behind them. This is true with all water rescues. People drowning are panicking,
and grab on, pull down and even try to climb over things to save their lives. This will result in two dead.
They work around to the back of the victim and put on a harness they are both connected to.
They are pulled out by the firefighters farther back in a safe location.
Who is next?
So the next two give it a try.
Then it is time to learn how to set tackle in the ice and check the thickness. In the river they can tie to a tree
or a rock, way out on the lake rescuing the person that was walking their dog and fell through, not as easy.
Miles and miles of ice that foolish people can fall through.
Thank you Lakewood Fire Department, I cannot believe how eager everyone was to jump in that water!
To see all the photos from Lakewood Fire Department Ice Rescue Practice go to:
http://lakewoodobserver.com/photoblogs/ ... e-practice
.