By Vermont statute, local fire departments are responsible for rescues. Starting at dark on the night of October 24, 1993, the rescue of an injured hiker on Camels Hump required approximately 25 responders from Waterbury emergency services and consumed 11 hours. This was the first major backcountry rescue in the area since 1972. Unfortunately, little thought had been given to this type of emergency and it was quickly realized that only a percentage of the trained firefighters were left in town. Additionally, the primary ambulance crew found itself also on the mountain and unavailable to respond to other calls. By the following Spring, limited steps had been taken to avoid the same situation. Since the 1993 case, Camels Hump alone has been the scene of 13 additional rescues – 6 of which were in 2001. The explosive growth of these rescues has caused increasing concerns for Waterbury emergency services. Most of the rescues have required 20-30 responders and specialized gear – borrowed from other towns. In the meantime, the Waterbury area has seen one major snowmobile accident plus other injured hikers and hunters. The Waterbury Village Fire Department, Waterbury Town Fire Department, and Waterbury Ambulance Service have been upgrading procedures throughout the 1990s. A primary goal has been to reduce the number of firefighters and EMTs on the rescues so that they (and their equipment) could respond to other emergencies. An entirely new tone-out protocol was established with cooperation from a wide variety of state and local agencies. With the six rescues that took place in 2001, it became obvious that the time had arrived for a more formalized, fully equipped, and better-trained team to be formed. Even a casual glance at the local evening news reveals the explosive growth of backcountry rescues in recent years. The Waterbury area has not been immune. In 2001, the Waterbury fire departments and ambulance took definitive steps to train-up and gear-up for future rescues in our community and the surrounding area. A number of individuals with technical knowledge have stepped forward to volunteer their services. After exploring a number of options, it was eventually determined that the new Backcountry Rescue Team would be formed under the Waterbury Ambulance Service, Inc. – an IRC 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation. This team would be trained and equipped specifically for backcountry rescues, thereby dramatically reducing the need for firefighters and EMTs to be called away from their primary duties. Injured and or ill: hikers, hunters, snowmobilers, loggers, mountain bikers, snowshoers, skiers, berry pickers, swimmers, fishermen, boaters, and any other patient not readily accessible by conventional means. How can donated funds help us to reach the goals? Neither the Waterbury Backcountry Rescue Team nor Waterbury Ambulance Service, Inc. receive any tax dollars for financial support. Currently, all WBRT members are strictly volunteer and each individual must purchase his/own gear. We are in search of seed money to cover the cost of group gear such as ropes, climbing hardware, communications equipment, uniforms and training materials.
