Flat-ice rescue training

Posted 1/29/25

WURTSBORO, NY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers conducted a flat ice rescue training session at the Bashakill Wildlire Management Area on January …

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Flat-ice rescue training

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WURTSBORO, NY — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Forest Rangers conducted a flat ice rescue training session at the Bashakill Wildlire Management Area on January 15. Rangers practiced self-rescue and subject-rescue techniques. 

Trainings like these keep them ready to respond to search and rescue incidents statewide as they occur. Working with other state agencies, local emergency response organizations and volunteer search and rescue groups, forest rangers locate and extract lost, injured or distressed people all across New York State.    

In 2024, DEC Forest Rangers conducted 362 search and rescue missions, extinguished 122 wildfires covering nearly 6,500 acres, participated in 60 prescribed fires that served to rejuvenate more than 1,155 acres of land and worked on cases that resulted in more than 1,200 tickets and arrests. 

Outdoor enthusiasts are advised to be aware of essential safety guidelines and make sure ice is thick enough before heading out. Before leaving shore, ice anglers are advised to check the thickness of ice. Four inches of solid, clear ice is usually safe for anglers accessing ice on foot. However, ice thickness can vary between water bodies and even within the same water body, increasing the need to ensure thickness. 

Anglers should be particularly cautious of areas of moving water and around boat docks and houses where bubblers may be installed to reduce ice from forming. Checking the ice can easily be done with an auger or “spud bar” (a long, metal tool with a chisel on one end) at various spots.

flat, ice, rescue, training, new york state department, environmental conservation, forest rangers

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