With summer in full swing and families heading out to the beach, the Rochester Fire Department reminds all beachgoers and boaters of the precautions to take while in the water.
Dozens of families have flocked to the beach here to kick off summer. Multiple lifeguards are on duty, and spots like these are where authorities prefer you swim.
Anytime Andrea Muerb takes her kids to the beach, she ensures they all stay in the marked swim zones close to the lifeguards.
“It’s safer with the lifeguards. If there’s an emergency, they’re right there, and there are so many here it makes you feel safe. Buoys are excellent markers to let us know we can’t go any further. There are sandbars to walk on,” says Andrea.
David Nisley always goes into the water with his daughter or watches her on the shoreline.
Davis says, “We’re just finding rocks and shells to stay close to shore because the water is still pretty cold, and I don’t want to go in there.”
At the beginning of the year, RFD Captain Scott Daly and his team with Engine 19 do annual training and prep their boats to go out on the Genesee River and Lake at any time if they’re called to search or rescue any swimmers or boats.
Captain Daly says, “Even if you’re a strong swimmer, wear a life jacket and have them with you when you’re out swimming or on a boat. Even enjoying Durand Beach or Ontario Beach, wear a life jacket.”
When on call, at least four firefighters can man the rescue boats, equipped with even more tools and gadgets than what is found in firetrucks to help.
Captain Daly showed some of the technology on these boats, explaining, “This boat is equipped with FLIR, which is Forward Looking Infrared. It does have radar, sonar, searching underwater with side imaging, down imaging, flare cameras; we also have the handheld thermals.”
Rochester Firefighters say typical cell phone service can be lost once boats exceed 5 miles from shore. So in the event of an emergency, they urge you to use channel 16 on your boat’s radio, which is monitored by both the Rochester Fire Department and the Coastguard.
Source: Rochester First
