NEWS · B2 Level - Part 2

Firefighters train to conduct rescues on ice

Many of us know that firefighters aren't just heroes for fighting fires. They answer the call on a number of emergencies

Level: B2 · 30 sentences

Transcript

Many of us know that firefighters aren't just heroes for fighting fires.
They answer the call on a number of emergencies
like car accidents, natural disasters, and...
some specially trained firefighters could also be called ice fighters.
With winter weather freezing over ponds in Kentucky,
the Lexington Fire Department Special Ops firefighters gear up in subzero dry suits,
and simulate emergency rescue scenarios in the hopes of saving lives and...
We are getting a close-up look at how these firefighting ice specialists train.
A day on the water is more lifesaving than relaxing for this crew.
With area ponds finally frozen over,
special ops firefighters have the chance to train for a worst-case winter scenario.
Huddled around Captain Ryan Hogston, dressed in expensive dry suits,
firefighters learned the rules of ice rescue.
Rules that also apply to the public:
Find somebody that's stuck on the ice.
We go by a thing called reach, throw, and go.
Once you've called 911,
reach out to the victim with a stick, a ladder, anything you can find.
Throw a rope or something to grab on to and go!
That's the firefighters' cue to jump into action.
Hogston says ice emergencies can happen easier than you'd think.
"Just last year, we had an animal get out there, and a person went out to try to get him and fell through the ice."
But not every department is equipped to respond.
Of the 600 firefighters with the LFD,
only about 10% are trained for this type of rescue.
These guys are regular firemen also but also have an extra 400 hours of rescue training
to be able to do these types of scenarios.
If they can save even one person, the training is worth it.
And on a day like today,
a little break from the pressure of real-life emergencies, well, that's... priceless.