For the past two weekends, first responders from across Hopewell Valley have taken advantage of rare deep-freeze conditions to practice one of the region’s most specialized — and high-risk — rescue skills: ice rescue.
Members of the Union Fire Company, Pennington Fire Company, Hopewell Fire Department and Hopewell Valley Emergency Services gathered on a frozen Rosedale Lake to complete advanced ice rescue training, working in coordinated teams across the ice surface with ropes, flotation devices and rescue sleds.
“We have 28 members of our Hopewell Valley companies here at Rosedale today completing their Ice Rescue Technician course,” said Hopewell Fire Department Team Leader Bill Springer. “This is the highest level of ice rescue training.”
The training places responders in full cold-water protective gear and simulates real-world scenarios in which victims have fallen through ice. Teams practice self-rescue, victim stabilization, tethered entry, and coordinated extraction techniques — all while operating on unstable surfaces where rescuers themselves can be at risk.
“Our volunteers and career staff take every opportunity to improve their skill level,” Springer said. “We hope that our services are never needed, but we are well prepared if they are.”
Ice rescue incidents are uncommon in Mercer County but can occur during extended cold spells, particularly on lakes, ponds and slow-moving waterways that appear solid but may have thin or inconsistent ice. Training at Rosedale Lake will continue as long as ice conditions remain safe for operations.
The sessions also serve as joint-company exercises, strengthening coordination among departments that would respond together in an actual emergency.
