Area firefighters get certified in ice rescue

BONNERS FERRY — Twenty-one multi-agency firefighters became certified Ice Rescue Specialists this month following a two-day classroom and hands on training held at Blue Lake, in Naples.

The training was hosted by South Boundary Fire Protection District and led by state certified Ice Rescue Trainer and Hauser Lake Fire Protection District firefighter Gary Mobbs.

SBFPD Fire Chief Tony Rohrwasser assisted Mobbs in the instruction, as the two are currently the only state certified Ice Rescue Instructors in the state of Idaho, through the Diver’s Rescue International.

Firefighters from South Boundary Fire Protection District, North Bench Fire Association, Hall Mountain Fire Department, and Curley Creek Fire Department participated in the training.

Mobbs, who also a member of the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Dive Rescue Team, said he was impressed at how well the Boundary County fire agencies worked together throughout the course.

“I was really happy to see the multiple agencies train so well together,” Mobbs said. “Ice rescue requires a lot of manpower. The more trained personnel, the better your chances are of pulling off a successful ice rescue.”

Popular winter activities on ice such as ice skating, fishing, snowmobiling, and skiing, call for firefighters to respond more frequently to ice-related emergencies.

Many ice-related emergency calls end in tragedy for firefighters as well as the people they are trying to save.

With proper planning, training, and equipment, firefighters can gain the necessary skills to successfully complete an ice rescue and will enable them to save their own life as well as others.

It is essential that firefighters have an understanding of ice characteristics, its strengths and weaknesses, and how hypothermia can affect both the rescuer and the victim.

The classroom and hands-on training inclided, the elements of an ice rescue, the various types of ice and its chemistry, victim assessment, personnel and equipment, and how to develop an operational plan.

The training course is by Dive Rescue International, Inc.