A Voice from the Eastern Door
A Voice from the Eastern Door
With the sled and firemen tethered to shore, Clinton Jacobs takes the sleigh onto the ice. L-R: Tiio Mitchell, Richard Phillips, Clinton Jacobs, Kiio Mitchell, Cam Mitchell, Owen Swamp and Sandra Boots.
The orange suit Cam Mitchell is wearing is called a Gumby suit, because you look like Gumby in one. However you look, these suits are invaluable to Firemen. Here, Cam Mitchell helps Clinton Jacobs suit up in his water suit which is completely watertight.
Firemen on shore are as important as the firemen actually doing the rescue. Here Loretta Rourke (R) checks to make sure Stanley Cook is properly harnessed in for safety.
On shore, each fireman has their role in the rescue whether it's assisting the men going on the ice or providing necessary equipment.
Clinton is pulling himself to the actual site using special ice picks. Note there are ropes that are tethered to him, the sleigh, and one as a backup safety. The yellow buoyancy sling (noodle) is used on the victim; Clinton will place the noodle under the victim's arms to help keep the victim afloat.
The rescuer approaches the victim while assessing the condition of the victim; can the victim speak, is he conscious, unconscious, how long has the person been in the water and are there other victims involved?
He reaches the victim, and will place the noodle under his arms and hook him to the safety line.
Clinton places the sleigh in the water for the victim; once on, the victim is pulled out of the water. Once out of the water, the fireman will ride on the far end of the sleigh as they are pulled to shore.
On Saturday, January 8, 2016, the temperature rose above 50, but if you're standing outside immersed in the river, it's different. The Hogansburg Akwesasne Volunteer Fire Department spent over 4 hours Saturday morning, reviewing ice water rescuing and practicing ice water rescue on dry land. By afternoon, the HAVFD crew turned theory and procedure into practice on and in the St. Regis River.
An ice water rescue follows certain procedures and protocols, using particular equipment designed for the safety of the rescuer as well as providing a safe and quick rescue for the victim. Firemen (and women) are trained through a series of classes and these classes are refreshed throughout the year. Only trained firemen actually complete an ice water rescue. The firemen left on land play an important part to the rescue, one will act as the command leader, others will act as support for the rescue team helping them prepare and suit up, other firemen will handle equipment needed for the rescue, and still others may deal with crowd control. The firemen know their role in each rescue before leaving the fire station.
Each rescue operation is conducted from low risk to high-risk order. Communication with the victim is crucial to the rescue process. As soon as they arrive on the scene the firemen attempt to make verbal contact with the victim. Talking helps to reassure the victim and helps determine the victim's condition and level of consciousness. Due to hypothermia and shock, a victim might not be able to respond back to the firemen but the potential exists that he/she can hear and understand them. The firemen will continue to talk to the victim even if there is no response. Based on the degree of the victim's response, decisions are made regarding the level of risk needed to facilitate a rescue and the order of water rescue is immediately assessed from low risk to high risk. Prior to the rescuer actually proceeding into the water, he/she shall discuss the action plan, including specific tasks and objectives, hazards and contingency plans. Putting a fireman in the water is considered a very high-risk operation. Only rescuers with the proper training and equipment are allowed to enter the water.
There are many safety concerns when conducting a ice water rescue, firemen need to ensure that it is safe for rescuers to work and that adequate back-up is provided. They need to be aware of the training and experience of each firefighter on the scene and they need to ensure that sufficient staffing is available to accomplish the mission. Before arriving on a rescue scene they make sure that there is enough safety equipment for all personnel operating at the incident, and ensure
that all rescuers operating near the ice or water are wearing a life jacket or Gumby suits. This is where the Monday night equipment check plays a vital role in the safety and success of each rescue. As well, they always make sure no rescue should be initiated without a back-up team and shore support.
There are many other considerations they take into account; the cold and the effects of hypothermia on victim and rescuers, rain and snow and the impact of rain and snow on the situation, time of day and providing lighting and maximum personnel for operations, they also have to consider the affect on family and friends and keeping family members informed.
So before you take your snowmobile on the ice, go ice fishing or cross the various ice bridges in Akwesasne, you should take all of this into consideration.
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