CURTICE, Ohio — The cold weather means, our lakes and ponds will continue to have ice covering them, but that doesn't mean it's always safe to be out there.
One local school offered its students some best practices around the ice Wednesday.
"We're coming out to get you, just hang on. Are you okay? can you hold on a little bit longer" Jerusalem Township Fire Chief Tony Parasiliti said during an ice-rescue simulation with third graders.
The students at Jerusalem Elementary school learned to be prepared about the dangers of being on the ice.
"I think we're hearing a lot more about people losing their life to drowning, breaking through the ice and we need to get out kids aware of what goes on," Jerusalem's school resource officer, Jeff Costanzo, said.
Living in northwest Ohio, frozen ponds, lakes, and even pools are common this time of year.
That's why Officer Costanzo teamed up with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Jerusalem Township Fire department to offer the training.
"Because we have so much lakefront area and we do incur a lot of ice fisherman, this education starting with the youngsters is just fantastic," Parasiliti said.
The kids learned about hypothermia, how to check the ice conditions, what clothes to wear, and what they should bring to be safe around ice.
Several, including Devin Luce, said they thought the training was cool. And when asked what learned, Devin said he now knows to stay calm if he falls in the water.
The fire chief said there is a lot for people to know and remember when it comes to being on the ice and staying safe out there.
But the biggest thing he wants everyone to know is to never go alone.
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