Fire chiefs meet at beach for water rescue demo

“We put two ‘victims’ in the water off the pier,” Yonker said. “We came in with Grand Haven Township’s Argo and our Polaris (both all-terrain vehicles), then the officers walked the pier.”

Yonker said a primary team of two went into the water and a secondary team brought one of those officers in with a rope, while the other officer swam to shore.

The demonstration included throwing a life ring to show how it sets off an alarm, a flashing blue light and a signal to Central Dispatch. The signal also causes the camera to point to the area.

After the demonstration, the fire chiefs returned to GHDPS for a presentation by Sgt. Clint Holt on ice and water rescues.

The chiefs also watched a video from an actual rescue — “so they can see how bad it can be out there,” Yonker said.