Extreme cold adds challenges, risks during emergencies
WHITING, Ind. (WLS) -- Extreme cold can make responding in an emergency even more dangerous. Ice covered firefighters Wednesday night as they tried to put out a fire that damaged three homes in Whiting, Ind. Flames flared up while firefighters fought back in zero-degree weather.
"That's the real heroes up there right now," said Rudy Wunder, a neighbor.
"This is extreme weather for my guys. Your endurance is challenged," said Whiting Fire Chief Gus Danielides. "We have great radios, but after they get wet and they get frozen, now our communication is down. So we rely on a lot of hand signals, and just knowing what we have to do at the scene."
An elderly couple got out safely. But the fire-and-ice scenario challenged first responders across the region.
"When you're working you forget about that slick spot or curb covered in snow," said Dmdr. Dave Disselhorst, Norridge Police Dept.
Two Norridge officers sustained minor injuries helping a family get out of their burning house. The home in the 7900-block of W. Gunnison went up in flames with the family trapped inside, screaming for help.
The extreme cold is not only a health hazard, but also a challenge for firefighters.
"For the first half-hour, we were able to get water for a minute," Blondell said, but water main breaks hampered the efforts.
Earlier Wednesday morning in Berwyn, four police officers were treated for minor smoke inhalation. They arrived even before firefighters.
"Police officers were on the street. They get here faster. They have smaller vehicles and they were assisting with traffic control and evacuating the building," said Berwyn Fire Chief Dennis O'Halloran.
In Chicago, fire destroyed a portion of a 6-flat in the 1500-block of South Kostner. A fire fighter suffered minor injuries as a dozen people were displaced.
"The guys did a nice job. No real problems to speak of. We all know how bad weather can be and the conditions we work in," said John McNicholas, Chicago Fire Dept.
Those conditions can make responding in an emergency even more dangerous.
"Whether it's 20 below or 105 in the summer, we get it all here so we have to be prepared," said Disselhorst.
First responders stress 'no safe ice' even during extreme cold
These deep lows do not mean that area ice is safe. On Tuesday, a boy fell into a pond as he was attempting to take a shortcut home.
Downers Grove fire and rescue responded in minutes, with help from Lisle and Woodridge, to get a young boy off the ice in the 7100-block of Dexter Road. He was floating on his back, conscious. Rescuers took him to Good Samaritan Hospital.
At Chicago's Engine 13, first responders practice water rescue with their inflatable canoe -- a Fortuna. The Chicago Fire Dept. demonstrated how light it is and the critical role it plays in water rescue.
"If a person falls through the ice we want you to kick your feet very hard, try and get your body into a more horizontal position. Try and climb up out of the hole, roll away from the hole so you spread your body weight across the ice and you don't fall back through," said Chicago Fire Dept. Deputy District Fire Chief Ron Dorneker.
Mild temperatures up to now mean it has been a relatively quiet time for these pros, but that is changing.
"All the ponds, all the lagoons, the river, the lake - it is starting to freeze right now. We are getting some skim ice and we are getting some thicker ice out there but none of that ice is safe to be on," Dorneker said.
Officials say if you fall in, do everything to protect your face and head. Cold water on the face can provoke a gasping reflex, which leads to inhaling water and can make a bad situation extremely grim.
