VIDEO: “Just how effective would Personal Flotation Devices (PFD) be if a Firefighter were to fall through the ice while in full gear?” “Once in the water, how long would it take the rather heavy turnout gear Firefighters wear during fire fighting operations, to become saturated with water to the point of causing the fire fighter to begin sinking below the surface of the water?” Those were the two questions members of the Merrill Fire Department sought to answer on Tuesday afternoon, during an exercise at Riverside Athletic Club.