RoySwkr
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https://www.nh.ngb.army.mil/news/archive/123-swift-water-search-and-rescue
One of the presentations at last week's NH Emergency Preparedness Conference was how the Bedford FD teams with NHNG for swiftwater and helicopter rescues. Apparently the helicopter picks up active-duty firefighters from the station with a few minutes notice (these slots being backfilled by call and volunteer firefighters) and can respond anywhere in the state in under an hour. Many flood rescues involve plucking people from windows or cutting holes in roofs which firefighters are already trained to do, and they have added small boat and helicopter training. They don't aspire to above-treeline work but can handle other backcountry incidents.
One interesting remark in this presentation was that Fish & Game doesn't consider themselves as first responders for major incidents as it takes too long to assemble a team from all over, but they can take charge if the incident lasts awhile. (Urban SAR has been delegated to a firefighting group in any case.) For instance they have a first-class dive team and an airboat but most of their effort is recovery of evidence tossed into water bodies rather than active rescues of swimmers.
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Law_Enforcement/airboat.html
It was also noted that most intersections of ATV/snowmobile trails in the North Country have been mapped with coordinates so the DHART helicopter can pick up victims with serious injuries, presumably they can bill such victims directly.
One of the presentations at last week's NH Emergency Preparedness Conference was how the Bedford FD teams with NHNG for swiftwater and helicopter rescues. Apparently the helicopter picks up active-duty firefighters from the station with a few minutes notice (these slots being backfilled by call and volunteer firefighters) and can respond anywhere in the state in under an hour. Many flood rescues involve plucking people from windows or cutting holes in roofs which firefighters are already trained to do, and they have added small boat and helicopter training. They don't aspire to above-treeline work but can handle other backcountry incidents.
One interesting remark in this presentation was that Fish & Game doesn't consider themselves as first responders for major incidents as it takes too long to assemble a team from all over, but they can take charge if the incident lasts awhile. (Urban SAR has been delegated to a firefighting group in any case.) For instance they have a first-class dive team and an airboat but most of their effort is recovery of evidence tossed into water bodies rather than active rescues of swimmers.
http://www.wildlife.state.nh.us/Law_Enforcement/airboat.html
It was also noted that most intersections of ATV/snowmobile trails in the North Country have been mapped with coordinates so the DHART helicopter can pick up victims with serious injuries, presumably they can bill such victims directly.
