Cold weather and frigid temperatures have let local firefighters and EMTs train for ice and cold water rescue under some realistic conditions.
Members of the Wallingford Fire Department trained in rotating companies Thursday at Community Lake.
They wore puffy yellow cold water suits that protect against the cold and provide buoyancy, and practiced using equipment like flotation collars or “horse collars,” ice rescue sleds and water ropes that float and won't degrade after being wet.
Fire Chief Joe Czentnar said Thursday that it’s a good time for a reminder to stay out of bodies of water — pet walkers sometimes venture on the ice, and kids are more likely to be outside Monday since there’s no school for the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday.
“With a little bit of a thaw today or tomorrow, we're just preparing,” he said.