Members of the Palatine, Palatine Rural and Rolling Meadows Fire Departments participated in a joint training exercise in the frigid water of the Salt Creek Rural Park District’s Twin Lakes in January in an effort to improve their proficiency of rescuing any victim who may have fallen through the ice into the freezing water. The training, which occurred on January 15, 16 and 17, 2014, is important because automatic aid agreements between the three jurisdictions may require firefighters from the different departments to work together as one unit to perform this type of emergency rescue.
Recent events in the area have highlighted the need for quick action. Icy cold water will cause victims to lose the mobility of their arms and legs quickly, making it difficult to swim, let alone being able to hang on to the edge of the ice in an attempt to stay afloat.
The Palatine, Palatine Rural and Rolling Meadows Fire Departments would like to remind everyone to avoid venturing onto frozen bodies of water unless it can be confirmed that the ice is thick enough to support their weight. If there is doubt, firefighters urge people to please stay off the ice.
The high January 15, 2014 was 22 degrees, the low temperature was 15 degrees.
The high January 16, 2014 was 34 degrees, the low temperature was 19 degrees.
The high January 17, 2014 was 20 degrees, the low temperature was 12 degrees.
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