When the frigid cold turns Westminster’s waterways into icy landscapes, residents can take comfort knowing that a team of highly specialized divers are ready to take the plunge and save lives.
Westminster Fire Department’s (WFD) Water Rescue Team, renowned throughout the region for its expertise in ice dives and recovery missions, plays a critical role in keeping the community safe through the winter and spring months.
Fire Paramedic Alec Shogan, who leads the team, said frozen lakes and ponds present unique dangers for both people and their pets.
“Our community loves the outdoors and recreation, and we’re fortunate to have several great bodies of water for that, but frozen bodies of water can be extremely dangerous,” Shogan said. “One of the more common things we see is pets walking out onto the ice, which leads to owners following them or trying to save them if they get caught in a bad situation. I have three dogs, so I know it would be hard for me, even as a trained professional, to resist going after them.”
The water rescue team trains monthly to sharpen their skills, and completes an annual ice dive on Standley Lake as part of their training. Preparation and practice are key, because time is of the essence in such cold, harsh conditions.
“Once you enter the water beneath an ice shelf, the clock is ticking,” Shogan said. “Because of thermodynamics, you lose body heat 25 times faster when you're in the water. That leads to becoming hypothermic substantially faster.”
For the training dive, firefighters cut through the ice shelf to create a wide hole, then don full drysuits and scuba gear to dive and swim underneath the ice. Firefighters practice swimming in search patterns, locating people and objects, and maintaining communications with support staff on the surface.
As one of only two fire departments in the region with a dedicated water rescue team, WFD works hand in hand with local partners. The team also trains the park rangers at Standley Lake, so they can assist with ice rescues above the surface, and hopefully prevent the need for a dive operation.
Although Westminster’s Water Rescue Team is always prepared for the worst, Shogan’s best advice to residents this spring is to just stay off the ice.
“When it comes to ice, there is no good way to gauge the strength or thickness,” Shogan said. "Just because it's thick doesn't mean that it's strong. It is a dangerous environment, and the second that you go through the ice, you have minutes to be able to get yourself out. If you're not prepared for being submerged in that environment, it has a significant increase in the potential for a fatal accident.”
To learn more about the Westminster Fire Department’s Water Rescue Team and see an ice dive training session in action, visit our YouTube channel.