Officials have been urging people to stay off of the Potomac River and other bodies of water because of how dangerous it can be.
The icy conditions are exactly why D.C. Fire and EMS have been ramping up its training practicing rescues should someone fall through ice.
“Because we don’t get ice like this every year, we try to get out here as often as possible,” said D.C. Fire Special Operations Battalion Fire Chief Dennis Carmody.
The icy, frigid Anacostia River provides the perfect opportunity for the team to practice making rescues on the ice.
“We’ll work on self-rescue. We’ll work on victim rescue. We have all sorts of retrieval methods,” Carmody said.
When there isn’t ice, they still train using plywood to simulate the ice.
And how does this team stay warm when practicing these drills?
“We maintain our mental composure and were able to talk ourselves out of focusing on the parts of the environment that are not enjoyable and we focus on our mission, and it helps us get through it,” Carmody said.
This training was put into action earlier this week. On Tuesday,crews pulled a person from ice underneath the 14th Street Bridge. The person died, and the incident remains under investigation.
D.C. Fire and EMS urges people to stay off of iced-over bodies of water. But if you do fall through ice, call for help and don’t panic.
“If you are able to extract yourself from the hole that you’ve fallen into, don’t stand up — you’ll only break more ice,” Vito Maggiolo with D.C. Fire and EMS. “You should crawl or roll to safety.”
They also want people to remember how dangerous these icy conditions can be.
“You’re talking about extreme weather conditions and extreme danger, from everything to rip currents to environmental hazards,” Carmody said. “We put ourselves in these situations quite often, so we’re ready to respond when there is an actual rescue that needs to be made.”
from Local – NBC4 Washington https://ift.tt/gUJ3ZPG
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