One of the hidden benefits of being a fire fighter or EMT is that you have no idea of what the next call will bring. Having said that, preparing for what you may need to bring with you is a matter of training and experience and sometimes luck. Perhaps that is why fire trucks are so big. It takes a lot of stuff to do our job.

Fire fighters live in the real world, as most people do, so we need to realize that we can’t do everything. We call it capability. We train to be prepared and capable to deal with the kind of emergencies we have here in Andover, given our population, geography, and climate.

One thing we do know is that, given the number of lakes, ponds, and rivers in Andover, the likelihood of a water rescue is high. For that reason, we have a boat and water safety equipment, and we do a lot of water rescue training. We feel that we are water rescue capable.

The problem is winter. We have ice and snow for several months of the year. My uncle claims, “We have snow eleven and a half months of the year, and the other two weeks we worry about it.” Some years that seems true.

Until recently, we were not cold water / ice rescue capable and had to rely on help from other area towns – mutual aid – to provide this service. While I am a true believer in mutual aid, time for the victim in freezing water is very short. Therefore, we have long wanted to bring this life-saving capability to our own department. The issue has been cost.

A few months ago we received a very generous donation for the purpose of purchasing cold water rescue suits and gear. After much research by Captain Jacob Johnson and his team, the gear and equipment was purchased.

The training, as you can imagine, is intensive, as we are required to enter the frigid water and deal with a very frightened victim. Thanks to Captain Jason Jenkins and several others from the Franklin Fire Department, the training was taught over two days.

I am very confident that should the need arise, Andover Fire Department is now equipped and capable of quickly performing a successful cold water / ice rescue.

But where did that donation come from? Well, that’s my little secret. The added capability made possible by the people providing that donation is priceless. They have given us an opportunity to save a life that may have otherwise been lost. To them, from the Andover Fire Department, thank you.