2009

     Deerfield Valley Rescue members gathered on Saturday October 24th to celebrate the 35th Anniversary milestone of the squad.  For this special occasion, we added a separate page.  Click here to go to that page.

2008

     DVR's annual holiday party/awards banquet was held on Saturday November 22nd at the Red Mill in Wilmington.  This years length of service awards were as follows:

       5 Years Service:    Kelly Last

In addition to the length of service award, several members were recognized for volunteering 1000 hours or more during the year.  Those members were:

                    Conn Rose               Jon Abel               Miller Longbotham               Eric St.Denis

2007

    DVR's annual holiday party/awards banquet was held on Saturday November 17th at the White House of Wilmington.  This year, several members received length of service awards.  The awards were as follows:

5 Years Service:     Jon Abel, Brian Alfonso and Deena Hickin                   

        10 Years Service:   Heidi Aldrich

        15 Years Service:   Jane Waldron

        20 Years Service:   Bobby Maynard

    In addition to the length of service award, Chris Phelps (SVMC EMS Coordinator) was on hand to present a special Lifesaving Team Certificate of Achievement on behalf of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.  This award was in recognition and distinguished accomplishment in the performance of Lifesaving Prehospital Management of a critical cardiac patient on October 16, 2007.  On October 16th, 2007 at 1525, DVR was dispatched to Wards Cove Picnic area at Harriman Reservoir for a male subject in the parking lot in a blue Volvo having chest pains.  DV A2 responded with DVR's fulltime staff, EMT-I's Heidi Taylor and Bobby Maynard.  Upon arrival, they found several vehicles outside of the gate (and the gate locked), as the picnic area had been closed for the season.  Continuing to the main parking lot on foot (a short distance) they found several individuals who were out enjoying the beautiful fall weather, but did not locate the patient.  Calls by dispatch to the original callers cell phone were unsuccessful.  The crew then realized that the patient was probably located at the "Ledges" area of Wards Cove.  EMT-I Maynard took the Oxygen Kit and Defib/Monitor and began the trek to this area.  It took EMT-I Maynard 14 minutes walking time to reach the patient.  The walk to the patient is approx. 1/2 mile and the terrain is a narrow single track walking path with multiple obstacles (trees, rocks, streams etc.) encountered enroute.  Once patient contact was made, EMT-I Maynard found a male subject having severe chest pains accompanied with other signs and symptoms usually indicative of Acute Coronary Syndrome.  EMT-I Maynard radioed the patient information back to EMT-I Taylor who had remained at the parking area.  EMT-I Taylor assumed EMS Command and began requesting resources to facilitate the removal of the patient.  Due to the condition of the patient and the means in which the patient could be extricated from the woods, it was determined that boat transport from the Ledges to Wards Cove would be the most appropriate.  However, all calls to locate a local boat were unsuccessful.  Wilmington PD Detective Mark Denault suggested that Vermont Fish and Wildlife be contacted, as their warden lives locally and his boat is stored at the Vermont AOT facility in Wilmington.  Warden Richard Watkin was contacted and he responded with his boat.  During this time, due to the patients condition and the time it was going to take for extrication, EMT-I's Taylor and Maynard made the decision to call the LifeFlight of New York Albany based helicopter in.  During this time, EMT-I Aldrich, EMT-B Gundersen and FRECA Covey arrived on scene with additional equipment.  The patient was placed on oxygen, and IV was started and EMT-I Maynard contacted SVMC Medical Control for orders to administer some Nitroglycerin and Aspirin. As more personnel from Wilmington Fire arrived on scene, the patient was placed in a scoop stretcher in anticipation of his extrication from this area to the waiting ambulance.  Once the boat arrived, the patient was carried down to the waters edge, where he was placed into the boat and transported to the shore.  Upon arrival at the shore, the patient was carried up the the ambulance by Wilmington and West Dover Fire personnel, where the crew and patient was met by the flight staff from LifeNet of New York.  DV A2 transported the patient a few hundred yards to the Landing Zone that had been secured by Whitingham Fire personnel and the patient was flown to Albany Medical Center.  Once at their facility, the patient was found to have a serious cardiac condition that required some advanced treatment and care.  Follow up from LifeNew of New York's staff indicated the patient had undergone successful treatment for his condition, and would remain hospitalized until his condition improved and stabilized.  DVR's crew later heard from a friend present that day the patient had returned home, and was still being treated for the condition that caused the chest pains, but moving forward.  We were told that if we had not made the decisions we did, the patients condition could have been a whole lot worse.  All in all, it turned out to be a rather successful call, where the name of the game was teamwork.  While DVR's personnel provided the actual care, the following agencies assisted in their own important way:                                   

        Southwestern NH District Fire Mutual Aid Communications Specialists Jim Young and Dave Whipple

         Wilmington Fire                                Whitingham Fire                    West Dover Fire                        East Dover Fire

         Vt. Dept of Fish and Wildlife               Wilmington PD                      LifeNet of New York Helicopter 7-1

  Left to Right:  Bobby Maynard, Heidi Taylor, Mike Aldrich, Danielle Covey.  Missing: Carol Gundersen