Supplementary Ice Rescue Information - Urban 12 (OFM)

Question 1

What should Departmental SOP’s/SOG’s should contain? (3 items)

Answer 1

a) Equipment necessary for Ice Rescue incidents
b) Go/ No go statements
c) What to do if a hazardous material is present

Question 2

When fire departments respond to calls for water or ice rescues, employers should do these things: (3 items)

Answer 2

1) Identify the emergency situations which may reasonably be expected to occur in that fire department’s response area;
2) Train and equip firefighters, so that they can respond to those emergencies quickly, safely and effectively;
3) Select, acquire, and maintain the appropriate rescue equipment required to safely perform the operations that may be expected.

Question 3

According to the Ontario Ministry of Labour - Firefighter Guidance Note#6-3 Water/ Ice Rescue, Minimum precautions should include: (5 items)

Answer 3

1) All rescuers who enter the water are to maintain controlled contact with the shore/boat (i.e. safety line, hand contact). It should be noted that some rescue situations, such as, but not limited to, certain swift water situations may preclude rescuers from safely being connected to a rope. In these situations, appropriate safety measures should be taken to ensure the safety of rescue personnel. Those fire departments that may need to perform rescues in swift water should ensure that specific training is provided that addresses the unique hazards of swift water rescue;
2) Rescue personnel who may be within close proximity to water where there is an exposure to the hazard of falling into the water, should wear an approved personal flotation device;
3) Rescue personnel proceeding onto ice should wear an approved personal flotation device and clothing to reduce the effects of hypothermia (Note: where immersion suits are used as personal flotation devices, the requirements in the notation below apply);
4) Direct rescuers on the ice should be secured by rescue equipment, appropriate in the circumstances, to ensure the worker’s rescue from the water/ice; and
5) When using boats, ensure that the boat has the appropriate safety equipment and that the operator is competent to operate the vessel in the conditions encountered.

Question 4

Which agencies provide PFD certification in Canada? (3 items)

Answer 4

1) Transport Canada
2) Fisheries and Oceans Canada
3) Canadian Coast Guard

Question 5

What are the steps for Incident Size up? (7 items)

Answer 5

1) Recognize the hazards
2) Recognize the need for specialized crews or equipment
3) Create an Incident Action Plan
4) Prioritize Scene and Team Safety
5) Evaluate Indivdual safety
6) Have Spatial Awareness (view a scene holistically/entirely)
7) Recognize Rescue vs. Recovery (survivability profile)

Question 6

Which scale IAPs are written and involve outside or hierarchal organizations?

Answer 6

Large Scale IAPs

Question 7

Which scale IAPs are verbal involving incident commanders?

Answer 7

Medium Scale IAPs

Question 8

Which scale IAPs are mental and individual?

Answer 8

Smaller scale IAPs

Question 9

What is an MCP?

Answer 9

Movable control points (MCP; boat on a tether)

• Attach a tight, strong, static line, upstream from the victim
• Rigging built so that movement in all four directions can be controlled
• Several rescuers needed to set up, must have good communication

Question 10

What are considerations when breaking down an MCP?

Answer 10

• Remain attentive until the incident is terminated
• Removing the movable point hardware should be simple, but the static line can be problematic
• Consider sending boat attached to static line to perform task

Question 11

Which direction should patient (victim) approach pickoffs be made?

a) upstream
b) downstream
c) river left
d) river right

Answer 11

b) downstream

Question 12

What is the best choice of systems/equipment when working above a low head dam?

Answer 12

MCP (Moveable Control Point)