There is no such thing as SAFE ICE. If you Plan on going on Ice. Plan to be Safe

Transcription

1 ICE SAFETY

2 There is no such thing as SAFE ICE If you Plan on going on Ice Plan to be Safe

3 How Ice Forms Ice begins to form, first as Frazil Ice which are disk-shaped crystals that form a thin (2-5 cm) film on the surface of the water. As the temperature drops, these disks collect together to eventually form a solid sheet.

4 Types of Ice Frazil ice- First type of ice to form. Thin film of disk-shaped crystals. Frazil slush forms in rivers where current prevents a solid freeze. Clear ice- New ice formed by a long, hard freeze. Generally the strongest type, can look blue, black or green. Snow ice- Opaque or milky looking. Weak ice. Formed by refrozen, melted snow, it is low in density and porous.

5 Types of Ice Layered ice- Looks striped due to layers of frozen and refrozen snow. Anchor ice- Ice that forms on rocks or other solid objects on river bottoms. Once the sun warms the bottom, ice releases causing ice jams and other hazards. Pack ice- This is ice driven against ice by wind or water current. Pack ice can pile up and freeze together, leaving weak holes.

6 Ice Strength Appearance and thickness is not the only factors affecting ice strength. Other factors affect ice strength: Light wind speeds up formation but heavy winds slows it down Snow complicates things by insulating against freezing or melting. Slush may be formed by water rising through cracks into snow. Water on ice, erodes ice Daily temperature fluctuations. Watch for signs of Thermal Expansion.

7 Ice Strength Depth/size of body of water Currents in water/ underground springs Water chemistry Obstructions Water fowl or even schools of fish

8 General Guidelines for Ice Safety The only sure thing in ice safety is to stay off of it. Rule of Thumb For activities that clear, solid ice can support for a certain thickness: 2 inches- walking 4 inches- fishing 5 inches- snowmobiles 8-12 inches- vehicles

9 Potential Signs of Weak Ice Ice that is of different color Ice near obstructions Slush or snow on the ice Bubbles or water on ice surface Candling or a porous look Cracks in the ice Pressure ridges or faults Water running under the ice Pressure cracked shore ice Open water

10 ICE Be Prepared Remember No Ice is SAFE Ice Many people fall through ice in or near towns where help is nearby, but if you're going to be some distance from civilization (as you might on a backpacking or snowmobiling trip) you should prepare for the possibility of a plunge.

11 Spud Bar Carry a spud bar - a long metal or metal-tipped wood pole that can be used to probe unsure areas of ice, and can also be used as a walking stick when traveling on slick areas.

12 Safety Spikes Carry safety spikes. There are also many types of safety spikes, designed to give traction to an ice adventurer, should he break through.

13 Flotation Suit Wear a flotation suit if you're planning on going on Ice. Regular winter clothing or snow suits can weigh you down and make escape from the water difficult. A flotation suit is more expensive, but worth every penny - and more - if you end up needing it.

14 Small Backpack Wear a small backpack that contains essential supplies such as water, food, an emergency blanket, and possibly a change of clothes. Make sure the backpack is waterproof, or keep the items inside sealed in a bag. Don't overpack this bag; just keep the necessities in it. If you're already carrying a heavy backpack, keep in mind that you may need to dump it in order to get out of the water, so consider keeping some emergency supplies in a fanny pack or in the pockets of your clothes

15 Rewarming Rewarming yourself after spending time in ice-cold water is essential, and in a remote area fire will likely be your only option. Carry reliable fire starters, such as those commercially available in camping and outdoor supply stores, or, at the very least, waterproof matches. Fire starters may not be waterproof, so make sure to keep them in a tightly sealed plastic bag or other waterproof container. Keep your fire-making supplies in a zipped pocket of your jacket so there is no chance of losing them. If you go through the ice.

16 If you Fall Through The ICE Brace yourself As soon as you realize you're falling through the ice, hold your breath so that you do not breathe in water if your head goes under for a moment. If you have the presence of mind to lean back a little, this will also help you to avoid submersion of your head. Everything usually happens very quickly, though, so just be sure to immediately get to the surface if your head does go underwater.

17 Keep a cool head You don't literally want a "cool" head, of course, but you do want to calm down. The body will react to the plunge by going into "cold shock," a condition characterized by hyperventilation, involuntary gasping, and internal responses including hypertension (high blood pressure) and changes in pulse rate. It's easy to panic under these conditions, but the fact is, you've got time: even in near-freezing water, people in decent physical condition will generally have at least 2-5 minutes, and sometimes much longer, before they lose the strength or coordination to pull themselves out. Yes, it's a race against time, but the race is a bit longer than most people think. Panic is your worst enemy.

18 Find the hole! Especially when speed skating, momentum can make you end up far away from the original break in the ice. Being calm and try to locate what's up and remember this: Look for the dark area. When the ice is covered with snow: the hole will be darker. Ice without snow: the hole will be lighter. Always look for the contrasting color!

19 Stay afloat. Though your head may have gone underwater initially, you want to make sure you keep it out of the water from here on out. Tread water, and lean slightly back to help you float more easily. Don't worry about getting out right away; in the first minute you should just concentrate on keeping afloat and not drowning. If a heavy backpack is pulling you down, ditch it.

20 Control your breathing. The gasping and hyperventilating associated with cold shock begin the second you go into the water and can last up to 4 minutes. You need to normalize your breathing as quickly as possible to ensure that you have enough energy and awareness to get yourself out of the water and minimize the risk of cardiac arrest (cardiac arrest resulting from cold shock is rare in healthy people, but can strike almost instantly in the elderly or people with preexisting heart conditions). Concentrate on slowing your breathing, and make an effort to take deep breaths (note this may not be feasible if the water around you is turbulent). If you continue to take rapid, shallow breaths, try breathing through pursed lips.

21 Position yourself to face the strongest part of the ice. Since you fell through the ice, you know that the ice around the edges of the hole may very likely also be weak. Generally, the strongest ice will be that which you were on just before you fell through. After all, it was holding you only moments before. In some cases, however, the edge from which you came may difficult to reach or may have fragmented. If this happens, just get to an edge that you can reach and which appears thick and intact.

22 Get as much of your body as possible out of the water. Grab onto the top of the ice and use your arms and elbows to lift yourself up. It's likely that you won't be able to get all the way out by doing so, but you can get a good start. You'll also lighten your load as water drains off of you

23 Kick your feet and simultaneously pull yourself out. Since you generally won't be able to lift yourself upward and out, you want to instead "swim" out by getting your body as horizontal as possible. Lean forward onto the ice, and kick your feet as you would if you were swimming. As you do so, use your arms and elbows to push and pull yourself out of the hole. An alternate method is to roll out and away from the hole by floating on your back, hooking your strongest arm over the ice and bring your leg on the same side up over the ice edge; begin rolling up on the ice with a throwing motion with the opposite arm in the direction of the roll while bringing the opposite leg up as the roll commences. continue to roll until you are on solid ice.

24 Roll away from the hole. Don't stand up right away. The ice around the hole may be weak, so you want to distribute your weight over as much area as possible. Roll away from the hole or crawl on your belly until you are several feet from the hole. After that, you can crawl on your hands and knees until you are certain you are out of danger. Only then should you stand up.

25 Retrace your footsteps or path back to shore after getting out At least try as hard as you can to go back the way you came, as the ice you crossed earlier held up under your weight until the breaking point

26 Warm up and get help. Severe hypothermia actually takes quite a while to set in, but it's critical to get warm as soon as possible, even if you don't feel particularly cold (you will probably be numb). If you're in the wilderness, start a fire. Otherwise, get indoors or inside a warm car as soon as possible. Get medical attention promptly, even if you don't feel like you need it

27 The Rescue Reach- using a long object to reach something out to victim to grab onto. (pike pole, ladder, inflated hose, etc.) Throw- Rope bag, life ring, Rescue Rocket can be used to get a line to the victim. Row Utilizing a boat or other water craft to get to victim Go- rescuer physically attempts to retrieve victim. Rescuer would be in a dry suit tethered to shore or strong, safe ice. May use a device to assist (rescue sled, Safety Shuttle, inflatable ramp-like device, etc.)

28 Reach The first type of Rescue is the Reach Method. Basically, the rescuer will utilize some type of reaching device, to allow the victim to grab a hold of the device to allow you to pull them from the ice.

29 Throw Equipment Throw Equipment: Rope Personal Floatation Device Floatation Collar/Sling Line Gun Shirt, pants, or any other device that will allow you to pull the victim from the water. Technique: There are two different methods with THROW. Using ropes or lines anchored at shore allow the victim to be pulled from the water. The victim will have to hold tight and help elevate himself to the ice. He should then stay low and slide away from the dangerous area. Throw or shoot the line over the victims shoulder - If possible provide a loop for the victim to place under arms. Use a rescue sling if at all available.you may also throw the victim a floatation device to keep him afloat until a rescue can be made. A PFD, life-ring, or inner-tube may allow the victim to have a better chance of staying afloat until an actual rescue can be made.

30 Row Manually powered boats may require that you break the ice or slide the craft over it. Have adequate tools and expect long delays if you have to break ice. Airboats can maneuver between water and ice with little effort.

31 Due to the nature of Ice Rescue - the victim is often unable to help himself due to hypothermia, a boat or other equipment to perform the rescue from shore - GO may be the selected option. Go

32 Hypothermia Awareness & First Aid Your body and how it reacts to cold temperatures

33 Objective s Discuss Hypothermia & its rapid onset. Signs & Symptoms. Body temperatures. How to treat your victim. Many objective: Be aware & save a life.

34 Hypothermia A condition in which your bodies core temperature drops below the required temperature for normal and regular body functions. Hypothermia can effect your body On land but more so in cold water

35 Signs & Symptoms Shivering. Confusion & memory loss. Bright red & cold skin. Slurred speech. Exhaustion.

36 Signs & Symptoms Drop in body temperature. Shallow breathing. Loss of consciousness.

37 Your Bodies Core Temperature s -High body Temp: (F) -Average body Temp: (F) -Low body Temp: > 95 (F) - Extremely low body Temp: > 86 (F)

38 Rapid on set of Hypothermia Hypothermia can set in very quickly depending on the temperature surrounding your body. Cold water takes heat away from the body 25 times faster than air. Within 20 to 30 minutes, depending on water temperature, your bodies core temperature drops to below 95 (F) not allowing the body to function properly.

39 Water v- Time v- Survival Water temperatur e ( F) Set in time Possible survival time >32 > 2 Min. >15 Min > 3 Min Min > 5 Min. 1-3 Hrs Min. 1-6 Hrs Min Hrs. Average times

40 -During the sinking of the Titanic, most victims who entered the 28 degree ice water lasted a maximum of 15 minutes.

41 How to treat a victim of Hypothermia

42 Asses your victim. In the event your victim is not breathing or does not have a pulse call 911 start and preform CPR. (If Properly Trained) Then start the warming process of the victim. Remember the person is not dead till they are warm and dead.

43 Treatment/ Warming Process Call 911. Get the victim indoors if possible. Remove all wet clothing. Dry the victims core area first (Warming the extremities first can cause the victim to go into shock). Warm the victim by wrapping Insert hot packs into the blankets (Be sure not to apply heat directly to skin). In the event you do not have any hot packs warm up water bottles and apply the same way. Try to obtain vital signs on victim. (Pulse, Temperature, Blood pressure). them in dry blankets Continue to warm the victim slowly (Warming the victim to quickly may and can lead to further injury and complication with the victim). DO NOT give the victim any fluids or food. Continue to monitor the condition of the victim (Fully access the victim every 5 minutes).

44 Warming Techniques

45 RULE # 1 SAFETY SO WE ALL GO HOME