The Austintown Fire Department held Ice Rescue Training on Friday, designed to ensure firefighters are prepared to respond quickly during winter emergencies.

The training took place at Township Park on Yeager Pond and included hands-on training and exercises aimed at challenging the firefighters to think fast.

"Earlier this year, the Austintown Faternal Order of the Eagles gave us a very generous donation and gave us the ability to buy this equipment, and now it's time to put it to use," Battalion Chief Fred Marcum said.

Marcum says that with the rise in outdoor recreation, first responders must know how to react quickly and assist those in need. 

"Right now, we're learning on what happens to the ice, how it forms, how it starts to melt and what happens to those characteristics," Marcum said. "Should anyone be out on an open body of water, we'll be able to go out there, get to them and get them out."

He also said that most of the public is unaware of the dangers of ice. Marcum stressed the importance of understanding that the changing weather means that the ice thins from underneath before it is visible on the surface as temperatures rise.

Marcum said how important it is to have the firefighters prepared and efficient in getting people out of the water and warmed up.