New Hackensack Fire District
STANDARD OPERATING GUIDELINES
NK-306 Ice / Water Rescue
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PURPOSE: The purpose of this procedure is to provide a guideline for conducting all water rescue operations.

Dispatch:

Equipment Response - 52-55, 52-12, and 52-61

Upon Arrival:
The first arriving apparatus or officer on the scene will be responsible for implementing the Incident Command System per NKFD guidelines.  The Incident Commander should begin a size-up that includes:

A. Secure any witnesses.  This will help in identifying and locating the problem.

B. Assess the need for additional resources whether it be personnel or equipment.  If additional resources are necessary, Command should put in an early call for them. Don’t delay as it could hamper operations and produce negative results.

C. Assess the hazards.  Command should assign an individual as the Safety Officer.  The Safety Officer will be responsible for identifying the hazards present and have them secured if possible. If it is not possible to secure hazards, they will notify all personnel of the hazards and notify Command so that an action plan can be established.  Some hazards associated with water rescue operations would be: volume, velocity, and temperature of water, floating debris, unusual drop-offs, hydraulic effects, and depth of water. In the case of an Ice Rescue, a survey of the ice conditions should be completed.  The formula (Thickness of ice)2 x 50 = weight bearing capacity (ie: 2” Thickness = 200 lbs. Capacity.).  A simple rule of thumb is:

  • 1 inch    = Stay Off!!
  • 2 inches = One person
  • 5 inches = One snowmobile
  • 7 inches = group activities
  • 8 inches = one automobile
  • 9 inches = several snowmobiles
  • 10+ inches = light truck
D. Decide on Rescue or Recovery.  Based on the conditions present and the hazards to rescuers, Command will have to make the decision to operate in the rescue or recovery mode. If Command determines that the operation will be run in the rescue mode, rescue should begin quickly.

E. Decide on an action plan. Command should establish an action plan as soon as possible. The step-by-step plan should be communicated to all personnel involved in the rescue.

 Safety Concerns:
· Is it safe for rescuers to work?
· Experience of the firefighters on the scene.
· Manpower
· Sufficient Equipment.  Remember that all rescuers operating near the ice or water must be wearing a life jacket.
· No rescue should be initiated without a backup team and shore support.

Rescue or Recovery:
 

Water Temperature (degrees)
Exhaustion / Unconcious
Survival Time
32.5
Under 15 minutes
15 to 45 minutes
32.5 - 40
15 to 30 minutes
30 to 90 minutes
40 - 50
30 to 60 minutes
1 to 3 hours
50 - 60
1 to 2 hours
1 to 6 hours
60 - 70
2 to 7 hours
2 to 40 hours
70 - 80
3 to 12 hours
3 hours to Indefinite
Over 80
Indefinite
Indefinite

If the patient has gone under and the water is below 70 degrees Fahrenheit, rescue attempts should not exceed a period of 90 minutes from time of disappearance or time of dispatch if patient was missing prior to arrival.  A recovery effort should begin.

If the patient has gone under and the water is above 70 degrees Fahrenheit, rescue attempts should not exceed a period of 60 minutes from the time of disappearance or time of dispatch if patient was missing prior to arrival.  A recovery effort should begin.

Rescue Operations:
Rescue operations should be conducted from low risk to high-risk order. Make verbal contact with the patient ASAP.  Communication with them is crucial to the rescue process yet it is often overlooked. Talking helps to reassure the patient and helps determine the victim’s condition and level of consciousness.  Due to hypothermia and shock, a patient might not communicate back to you but the potential is still there that they can hear and understand you.  Keep talking even if they don’t respond.  Based on their input or lack there of, decisions can be made as to what level of risk will need to be taken to rescue the patient.  Rescues should be conducted with the least amount of risk to the rescuer necessary to rescue the victim. The order of water rescue from low risk to high risk will be:

· TALK the victim into self-rescue. If possible, the victim can be talked into swimming to shore or assisting the rescuers with his/her own rescue.

· REACH - If possible, the rescuer should extend his/her hand or some other object, such as a pike pole, to remove the victim from the water.

· THROW - If the victim is too far out in the water to reach, rescuer(s) should attempt to throw the victim a throw bag or some piece of positive flotation such as a rescue ring. Downstream personnel should be in position during the actual rescue operation. If the victim is able to grab the throw bag, the rescuers can then pull the victim to shore.

· GO - If all the above attempts fail, Command should consider putting a rescuer in the water to reach the victim. This is a very high-risk operation. Only rescuers with the proper training and equipment should be allowed to enter the water. Prior to the rescuer actually proceeding into the water, he/she shall discuss the action plan, including specific tasks and objectives, hazards and alternate plans. The rescuer shall never enter the water without the benefit of a lifeline.

Rescue Team Assignments:
Each rescue team should have a minimum of two rescuers.
Team #1 – Team #1 will attempt the rescue the victim through the use of the Talk, Reach or Throw methods of rescue.  Rescuers shall attempt to reach the victim by using pike poles, inflated fire hose, ladders, life rings or rope.  All rescuers will don life jackets.

Team #2 – During Team #1’s attempts at rescue, Team #2 shall start to suit up in a dry suit and prepare life-line hookup and prepare for entering the water if Team #1 fails to retrieve the victim.  The grab ring should also be prepared with another lifeline for entry with the rescuer.

Team #3 – Will also prepare like Team #2 and will act as the backup team.

Any remaining members should be used to secure the scene and for crowd control.

Assessing the Victim:
Once the rescuer(s) have reached the victim, they should do an immediate assessment of the victim and determine the exact method of entrapment. If the victim is conscious, the rescuer should determine if the victim could assist in his/her own rescue. If the victim is unconscious, the rescue must be quick. If the victim can assist in his/her own rescue, the rescuers should proceed with the rescue action plan. The victim should be brought to shore as soon as possible.
As soon as the victim is brought to safety, the patient should be covered with warm, dry blankets and treat for shock.

Additional Considerations: