TIMMINS - While below-zero temperatures aren't typically ideal for a dip in the lake, it's the perfect condition for rescue training.
Ten firefighters — eight from Timmins and two from Elliot Lake — suited up in special gear for ice water rescue training at Pearl Lake in Schumacher today (Jan. 16).
It's part of new mandatory training certifications for all firefighters, said Timmins Fire Department chief training officer Scott Foster.
“As much as we have done ice water rescue in Timmins and the whole area for eons, everyone has to go through it again because you need to be certified and properly trained by the province,” he said.
Six instructors from the Ontario Fire College are in town to put the firefighters through the paces.
“Anytime we teach water rescue, there’s five steps. Talk to your victim first, throw them something, reach to them, row to them either on a boat or we have our rapid deployment craft, and then finally it’s a go rescue where the rescuer goes in the water with them. Today we’re working through that,” said Foster.
The trainees were given different scenarios to run through, with members of the group trading off between being the victim on the ice or in the water, and others as part of the rescue crew.
The circumstances changed each time to emulate different scenarios that could happen in real life, such as having multiple victims or responding to a rescue when the required equipment is already being used at another call.
Fortunately, said Foster, local crews don't respond to ice rescues often.
"Given that every 10 kilometres there’s probably a half dozen lakes, it’s pretty important,” he said.
