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BC3 students learn ice, water rescue strategies teaming up

Butler County Community College professor Chris Calhoun instructs students Ross Moser, left, and Ellie Robinson during ice rescue training Wednesday. The students practice at the college's public safety training pond.seb Foltz/Butler Eagle

Going for a dip in a pond can be delightful in warm weather.

Not so much in freezing temperatures.

But for about a dozen Butler County Community College students, that dip in the frozen public safety training pond Wednesday expanded their knowledge about how to rescue people who fall through frozen bodies of water.

Those students, taking part in the park safety and visitor service class in the park and recreation management program, participated in several training exercises aimed at helping them perform different types of ice-based rescue as well as keeping themselves safe.“They practiced shore-based rescue, ice-based rescue, ice travel, self rescue and then direct-contact rescue,” said Chris Calhoun, BC3 park and recreation management professor and state water rescue instructor trainer.Students learned to pull someone out of icy water using a rope, to lift a person needing assistance out of the water onto an inflatable boat, and to use devices such as slings to safely remove someone from the frigid conditions.One part of the course had students walk out onto the ice with a staff, simulating checking the condition of the ice and eventually crawling, as though the ice had cracked, before jumping into the cold water and learning how to hoist themselves out.Those exercises were part of the ice rescue training, which is a 16-hour course that Calhoun said covers everything from planning and performing ice rescues, understanding ice characteristics such as how and why it forms, and recognizing the hazards associated with ice.“They are trained on and provided information with medical problems associated with cold water, such as cold water shock and hypothermia, and how to dress for the environment,” Calhoun said.

Before cutting a rectangular hole in the ice to simulate an ice rescue, the instructor said, the students performed a pool session at the Butler YMCA, practicing their skills in a controlled environment before testing them on the more uncontrolled frozen pond.The students wore personal protective equipment to prevent the medical problems associated with cold water, with fluorescent jackets almost as reflective as the snow, and other means of keeping safe.Trey Barto, a student in the course and part of the program, said the exercise “does take a little bit out of you,” but added it was fun to learn these skills. He said he chose the park and recreation management program because he was interested in joining law enforcement, but also enjoys the outdoors.“This is pretty much the perfect mixture between both of those options,” he said.Other students had similar sentiments. Kyra Costar said the course seemed like a good opportunity to learn hands-on skills, part of why she is in the program.

Costar, who plans on working at an adventure center in Colorado this summer, said she hopes to get more involved with recreation management.“I really liked that a lot of stuff you'd do here is super hands-on,” she added.Ice rescues are just one part of the course, in which students also complete a three-hour water rescue first responder awareness-level training, followed by a 16-hour water rescue and emergency response operations-level training, the ice rescue training, and a 16-hour advanced line systems rescue.“My students will do all but one of the water rescue trainings that the Fish & Boat Commission offers,” said Calhoun, who developed the commission's curriculum. “The only one that we do not do is emergency boat operations and rescue. I just don't have five power boats to do the training for my students.”

Swift water rescueIn the spring, students will practice swift water rescue out of McConnells Mill State Park as another skill.Calhoun said these skills come in handy.Water Rescue Team 300 has encountered situations, including at Moraine State Park, in which individuals have needed to be rescued from the ice or water itself.He also recommended taking a number of precautions before venturing out onto ice.

“There's absolutely no such thing as safe ice,” he said. “There are so many factors that influence ice formation, and that would be anything from (what is) the amount of sunlight the ice receives during the day? Is there any water on the ice? Is there a spring where warm water's actually coming up? Is there moving water?“There are all kinds of factors that influence the formation of ice. Anybody that's going out, keep in mind that there's no such thing as safe ice, and please wear a life jacket.”<iframe width="100%" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/cF5l-3oa028" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Butler County Community College park and recreation management students Trey Barto and Kyra Costar practice ice rescue techniques at the college’s public safety training pond Wednesday.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle
Park and recreation management students Kyra Costar, left, and Ellie Robinson work on ice rescue techniques at the college’s public safety training pond Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle
Butler County Community College park and recreation management professor Chris Calhoun watches students Ross Moser, left, and Ellie Robinson practice ice rescue techniques at the college’s public safety training pond Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle
Ice rescue training at Butler County Community College on Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle
Butler Community College park and recreation management professor Chris Calhoun instructs students during ice rescue training at the college’s public safety training pond Wednesday, Feb. 17, 2021.Seb Foltz/Butler Eagle

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