Published: Wednesday, 8th March, 2006 10:14
Crew's thin ice life saver
By Border Telegraph Newsroom
Print Article
SNOW and ice is usually responsible for stopping hundreds of people around the country from getting to work during the winter months.
But firefighters in Galashiels waited until the first sign of the bad weather before springing into action last Sunday.
Members of the station’s White Watch took advantage of the freezing temperatures to try out their latest ice rescue equipment at Swan Pond, near Bowden.
The Ice Path is a 15 metre-long inflatable walkway that allows firefighters to negotiate their way over dangerously thin ice.
And the crew, led by watch manager, Roy Barrie, put the equipment through its paces at the weekend.
Mark Laurie, group manager at Galashiels Fire Station, said: “They took advantage of the temperatures and conditions to try out the equipment, because it is not often that the pond is frozen so thick.
“That is part of our ongoing skills that we are developing for rescue purposes.”
And Mr Laurie says the equipment, which is now carried as part of the standard equipment, has proved to be a success.
He said: “It is an inflatable roadway that is inflated with compressed air.
“It can be pushed over water or ice to get to someone trapped in the water. It spreads the load over the ice and prevents it from breaking.”
A woman in Ayrshire died this week after becoming trapped under a frozen river while trying to rescue her dog.
Mr Laurie believes the equipment tested by the White Watch is needed now more than ever.
He said: “I think the lady dying this week goes to show that this sort of equipment is definitely needed by the fire service.
“The lady went in to rescue a dog, and this equipment could have been used to do that.”
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