Colerain Township firefighters train in ice rescue

COLERAIN TWP, Ohio - Firefighters suited up on a chilly Saturday morning to train for a different fight.

This one involved ice.

"We don't like to think about it but we do have the potential with the river and a lot of farm ponds and we run the risk of people fishing, or walking across or maybe ice skating or falling into the ice," said Capt. Steve Conn with the Colerain Township Fire Department.

Firefighters practiced ice rescues after breaking through a large chunk of ice on a private pond off East Miami River Road. Using rope and other equipment, they practiced rescuing one of their own from the frigid waters.

"It's real helpful to keep practicing because you don't do it very often and it's harder to remember unless you practice it," said Doug Rolf, a firefighter with the Colerain Township Fire Department. "There are a lot of different aspects to the fire department. "It's not just putting out fires. We have to train for everything."

According to firefighters, people often fail to judge the safety of the ice.

"There is no absolute when we are dealing with ice. It could be two inches thick in one area and four or five inches thick five feet away because of currents and the water," Conn said. "Our rule of thumb is there is no safe ice."