Kamloops Fire Rescue keep themselves prepared with ice training day

KAMLOOPS — It’s the time of year when snow sticks around and rivers get frozen — and the conditions are dangerous if people go out on the ice.

When a call for an ice rescue comes in, Kamloops Fire Rescue (KFR) crews quickly put on their gear and head out to the scene. Monday (Jan. 22) and Tuesday are training days to keep everyone up to date.

According to Acting Captain Mike Brown, people should always check the ice thickness before venturing out.

“Ice forms on lakes a little bit quicker, standing water gets ice quicker,” Brown told CFJC Today. “With the moving water, maybe the ice isn’t as strong. People go out thinking it’s strong and then you have the moving water so you can be swept under the ice, which is the worst case scenario. And that’s what we train for here.”

With the proper gear, crews can stay on the water for up to two hours. However, that is not the case in an actual emergency.

“It’s just a matter of time,” said Brown. “When it’s -20 to -22 out, you only have a minute or two in the water. In the fall, maybe you have five minutes in the water, but when you can’t get yourself out, five minutes is a long time.”

The amount of calls per year varies, but one thing most of them have in common is animals being involved.

“Once a dog gets on an ice edge and falls in the water, it’s really hard for a dog to get up off the ice edge. And then obviously with the moving water, now it’s trying to take them downstream,” Brown explained. “As a pet owner, we always want to go save our dog. I would recommend don’t go in the water after your dog — call 911. We will come down and get your dog off the water.”

That doesn’t mean people can’t enjoy the outdoors — they just have to be aware of their surroundings.

“Get out and enjoy the winter, but just be safe and I would stay away from the rivers and the lakes when they’re frozen,” Brown advised.