WELD COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4)- Firefighters with Mountain View Fire Protection jumped into a frozen lake on purpose.

It was part of ice rescue training on Tuesday. Firefighters believe training is critical in saving lives.

“We do a lot of basic stuff but it’s very important so we never want to lose those techniques to everything we do,” said Mountain View Firefighter Beau Clark.

Firefighters want everyone to remember to avoid walking on thin ice, especially when it is so warm outside. People are also encouraged to keep their pets off the ice, too.

If someone does fall through the ice and into the water, firefighters said do not go in after them because they will usually end up rescuing two people instead of one.

Instead, they recommend calling for help right away and looking for a rope or tree branch to throw at them until help arrives.