AUBURN, Mass. - Every winter, the Auburn Fire Department shares the same message. 

"The ice, in our opinion, is never safe," Deputy Chief Glenn Johnson said. 

Auburn firefighters respond to about 20 ice-related calls each season. The department said each call has one thing in common: someone went out on ice they thought was safe.

"I think they get excited to see the ice," Johnson said. " They want to go out ice fishing and that's mainly most of our calls."

Every year the department practices and prepares for ice rescues. ​

"Every body of water is slightly different," Johnson said. "The ice may look safe from the top, but you could walk to a different section and just fall right through." 

What You Need To Know

  • The Auburn Fire Department responds to about 20 ice-related calls each winter
  • Every year, their firefighters practices and prepares for ice rescues
  • If you ever fall through ice, AFD said to stay calm, control your breathing, trying to get yourself back up on the ice and call for help
  • The department said hypothermia can set in in less than 15 minutes 

Spectrum News 1 wanted to see what goes into an ice rescue. So in full protective gear and supervision, we went out on Auburn Pond. It took only about a minute before this reporter fell in the water. 

We were fully dressed in gear meant for cold water, but the department said in a real scenario you could catch hypothermia in less than 15 minutes.

"You quickly lose movement of your hands and your legs," Johnson said. "You can't feel anything. You're kind of just stuck there and have a good possibility of drowning quickly."

Which is why they said no ice is safe ice and you’re better off at a local rink.

If you're ever in the situation, the department said the first thing you want to do is to remain calm and control your breathing. They said to get a hold of the ice and attempt to pull yourself up by kicking your feet. If the ice breaks or is too slippery, they recommend conserving energy and calling for help. When you do get out of the water, the department said to crawl to safety not walk.