SYRACUSE — Turkey Creek Fire Chief Mickey Scott issued a public service announcement at the Monday, Feb. 8, meeting of the territory’s fire board.

“Due to the recent changing conditions with the warm weather and rain in our area, we would like to remind everyone that even though we do constantly train in the various aspects of performing ice rescues and EMS care for victims that fall through the ice, it could be too late for us to change the outcome of the emergency situation.”

He relayed the Indiana Department of Natural Resources guidelines to judge the safety of fresh solid ice:

• 1 inch of ice: stay off

• 4 inches of ice are needed for safe ice fishing

• 5 inches are needed for snowmobiling

• 8 inches are needed to support the weight of a car or light truck

• 10 inches are needed to support the weight of a medium truck

“Also,” cautioned Scott, “please remember even thick ice is rotten after it has been rained on. Old honeycombed ice, slush ice and ice with current under it are also dangerous. New ice is always stronger than old ice.”

Ice is thinnest around vegetation, near seawalls and along the shoreline, he said.

Citizens need to take their own ice borings, as there exists no clearinghouse of information on ice conditions at area lakes and rivers.

“Never go out alone,” warned Scott. “Always go with an experienced ice fisherman.”

Also at the meeting, Scott made good on his promise to emphasize department training in 2016.

In his first monthly fire training report of the year, Scott chronicled 379 hours of fire and EMS training involving every member of the department.

Sessions involved initial to advanced training and ranged from half an hour at the Turkey Creek fire stations to a three-day workshop in Huntington.

Topics included effective roof operations and vertical ventilation procedures, forcible entry, property and building preplans, fire investigation and inspection, leadership, communications, team building and mentoring, fireground scenarios and responsibility, decontamination, firefighter survival, thermal imaging, documentation systems, water emergencies, EMS protocols, SCBA procedures, EKG interpretations and more.

Scott indicated the January totals will be typical of the training schedule throughout the year.

“The various aspects of firefighting, performing rescues and providing EMS care are constantly evolving,” he said, “and we believe that it is our job to remain on top of these changes as they occur in order to remain as proficient as possible.”

Scott also reported several members of the department missed work because of illness or injury “in the last couple of months.”

He assured the board, however, none of the causes of the absences were work related.

“As our department is one big family,” he said, “when any one of our members gets injured and/or suffers an illness, it affects everyone in our department.

“Fortunately, these personnel are returning to their full capacity as firefighters and EMTs. We would like to say ‘thank you’ to our community for all of the support you have provided to the members of our department during this time.”

The department responded to 97 emergency calls (15 fire and 82 EMS) in January. The territory suffered property loss of $1,150 in two vehicle fires, but according to Scott, “a total of approximately $10,000 in property value was saved from fire damage during those incidents.”

The board will next meet at 6:45 p.m. Monday, March 14, at Syracuse Town Hall.