CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that graduation from the fire academy with a Firefighter 1 designation does not certify a firefighter to enter a burning building. Also, it might have appeared as if the source of the statement was Wildwood Fire Chief Ernest Troiano III; he was not its source.
People are familiar with the notion of “Strike while the iron is hot,” but less familiar is “Act while the water is frozen.”
That, however, is what more than one fire department in Cape May County did when they took advantage of freezing conditions to practice ice rescues and cold-water safety.
Wildwood Fire Chief Ernie Troiano III said all four of his platoons, about 25 firefighters, at one time or another were able to get ice time, that is, to don icy water survival gear and practice rescues. On Jan. 25 the Fire Department posted photos on Facebook showing C Platoon conducting this training at Lincoln and Susquehanna avenues, between regular calls for service.
“It’s not often we get this kind of ice, it’s not normally cold long enough to get decent ice forming,” Troiano said.

The chief said there have been times when kids were walking out on the ice and got stuck in areas just like the location where the training was being held. If it’s accessible for training, it’s probably accessible to kids, he said.
“That’s why we chose this location,” he said. “We’ve had kids get stranded. They get out so far something breaks.”
Troiano said one of the platoons performed its training at Beach Creek when the ice started forming.
The North Wildwood Fire Department Ladder Company 2’s A Platoon also took advantage of the cold weather and icy conditions to get some training in. Fire Chief Josh Carter said his four platoons trained with the Wildwood Fire Department, and together there were about 40 firefighters involved.
Images posted on Facebook showed North Wildwood firefighters in the water at a marina where they practiced rescues. Carter said they trained behind Urie’s and the Boat House restaurants.
Carter said the situation on the back bays of barrier islands is that there is moving water, which means the ice is less stable. Cape May Deputy Fire Chief Mike Eck said his department typically doesn’t have to do ice rescues on tidal water.
“It’s difficult to retrieve (victims),” Eck said of such instances when they occur.

But there are a number of ponds on private and public land throughout Cape Island that are potential hazards, including in the Higbee Beach area and Lake Lily in Cape May Point, Eck said.
The Cape May Fire Department took advantage of the frozen pond at Kiwanis Park on Madison Avenue to practice rescues. Eck said people were seen skating and playing hockey on the pond off Lighthouse Avenue at the state park.
The fire departments also advised people not to go out on the ice because, although it might look inviting, it is never 100% safe.
“That ice appears that you could walk across it, but it becomes very dangerous. With the freezing temperatures it does cause the water to freeze, but it takes so long for it to really freeze enough to support your weight,” Carter said.
All of the fire officials said they needed to take advantage of the ice to acquire the necessary training. The training is critical, Troiano said, because it is part of being an all-hazards department needed in the 21st century.

“We now have to respond to whatever comes down the pike,” he said. “The Fire Department has really changed over the years.”
“Absolutely we have evolved to an all-hazards department,” said Carter, echoing Troiano’s remarks. “Water rescue has become very important to us – right up there with fire and EMS response.”
Carter said North Wildwood, like other Shore communities, has lifeguards for approximately four months of the year, and for the other eight months, water rescue falls to the Fire Department.
“All our personnel are trained in open water rescue, ice rescue, swift water rescue,” Carter said.
Other types of rescue operations listed on the Cape May City site include high-angle rescue, confined space rescue, hazardous material spills, structural collapses and vehicle extrication. But ice rescue training depends on cooperation from the weather, which the departments got in January.
Troiano said the fire academy gives individuals the minimum training for state certification as a Firefighter 1. He said firefighters must continue to train, drill and take advantage of cold weather when it comes.
Carter said the volunteer companies are undoubtedly doing the same kind of training in their areas.
Troiano added: “You have to if you want to provide this level of service. The first time you do something should not be when you are on the scene of a rescue. You want to do it in a controlled environment. You always want to train as realistically as possible, but also in a controlled environment so no one gets hurt.”
The firefighters put on what Troiano said were Mustang brand dry suits or ice rescue suits. A Google search showed the suits ranged in price from $1,100 to $1,300 each.
Carter said their basic dry suits cost about $1,500 and, with accessories, end up costing about $2,000 per suit. Eck said the Cape May department does not equip every firefighter with an ice rescue suit, but has a number of them in a couple of sizes that fit most firefighters.
Troiano said his department’s suits are good for ice rescue but are not for water rescue.

“They are a little cumbersome to try to swim in,” he said.
The suits have some flotation ability and are equipped with awls or spikes or picks at the sleeve ends to help propel the rescuer on the ice.
Troiano said the temperature will dictate what kind of gear the firefighters wear.
He said that as part of the training, one of the firefighters would act as a victim trapped in the ice and another would attempt to perform the rescue. Usually, the rescuer would lie out flat on the ice to disperse his or her weight.
A board is used as the rescue device, and the rescuer will get the victim onto the board, then get on behind and be pulled in with a rope. Troiano said there are several different methods used for ice rescues, including using a rescue torpedo or a sling.
“The key is to get the person secured so they don’t go under and the threat of them drowning is eliminated,” he said.
Contact the reporter, Christopher South, at csouth@cmcherald.com or 609-886-8600, ext. 128.