Lexington Fire Department uses rare bout of icy weather for ice rescue training

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - The Lexington Fire Department’s technical rescue crew spent their snow day, training for ice rescues.

“We don’t get ice like this very often so when we do we try to take advantage of it,” Captain Chris Warren said.

Warren says because winter weather like this is so rare in Kentucky, people are tempted to get out and play.

“When we got out here to check the ice today, we actually found footprints on the ice,” Warren said. “So, somebody has already been out walking on the ice. It’s just not safe.”

Warren says you can’t trust your eyes alone to judge the thickness of ice..

“Nowhere in Kentucky do we see ice that thick, it’s all going to be in that 2-4 inch danger zone that makes you think you can walk out on it and then once you get out on it you bust through,” Warren said. “That’s what we don’t want.”

Because, once you go in, your chances of getting back out are slim and time is of the essence.

“5-10 minutes maybe, depending on body type and composition,” Warren said. “A small child has merely minutes before they’re not going to be able to survive.”

At the end of the day, it’s best to play it safe.

“No matter how thick it is, how much you think it will hold,” Warren said. “If you go through your chances of survival are nil. Just stay off of it.

If you do somehow end up on the ice, you’re encouraged to distribute your weight by laying down. then crawl or barrel roll back to safety.

Copyright 2021 WKYT. All rights reserved.