Somers Fire Department Practices Ice Rescues

Two days this month, the members of the  participated in ice rescue training.

On Jan. 16, the volunteer firefighters were out at the Mill Pond, and on Thursday, the career staff was out on Shady Lake. 

"This is yearly training that prepares us in the event of someone falling through the ice," Chief Gary Schiessl said. 

Schiessl said that the fire department has several different methods of rescuing people in this situation. One of them is where several of the officers have what are called "throw bags." These bags contain ropes that can be thrown to a victim if they are close enough to shore.

The department also has four ice rescue suits that can be donned so that members can crawl out to a victim and rescue them. Other members are rope tenders on shore to pull them in once the victim has been reached.

Finally, the department has an ice rescue tool called a "Rescue Alive" sled. 

"This allows a rescuer to cross thin ice without falling in," Schiessl said. "The sled is then used to carry the victim to shore, once again using rope tenders to pull it in."

Schiessl said that for any water-related incident, the Tolland County Dive team is also called in in the event of an underwater rescue situation.