(Radio Iowa) – While many Iowans huddle inside when it’s this cold, others set off for their ice fishing shacks, which is the reason dozens of firefighters from multiple departments in southwest Iowa took part in an iIowce rescue training session last weekend.
Red Oak Fire Chief John Bruce says they do the on-ice training workshop every winter to brush up on deploying a rescue team and using the skills and equipment. Ice rescues are only needed a few months out of the year, so Bruce says this refresher is vital so they can properly respond to someone falling through the ice — particularly given the popularity of ice fishing in the region.
It’s imperative, he says, to get anyone who falls into the frigid water out as quickly as possible.
