Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team

I just wanted to send out a message to express my gratitude for all the hard work our team put into the Search and Rescue booth at Festival NH last week. You all did a great job! Special thanks should go out to Scott Carpenter and Nancy Lyons for their work on constructing our display and staffing the booth. I also wanted to thank everyone else that helped with the organization and staffing of the booth. UVWRT was well represented! New England K9, Fish and Game, and AMC also provided us with a great deal of support and staffing of the booth. It was great working with all of them. We exposed more than 30,000 people to the work being done by Search and Rescue groups in NH!!!

Steve Whitman

Note: These pictures where taken on 9 June and show only the personnel and activities done at the booth that day. They are representative of the types of activities done throughout the Festival, but do not adequately represent all the other team members and members from other SAR groups that helped out in the booth. - Jan Largent

The booth was a tribute to the many search and resuce groups actively working in NH. On the day these pictures were taken, three groups were represented in the booth: Upper Valley Wilderness Response Team, New England K-9 and the AMC. Right: Judy Clark and Chris Northrop setup for the day. Below: Nancy Lyons, Judy Clark and Matt talk to the first groups to visit the booth. The big topic of discussion was what to do if you find you are lost. Staying put and carrying a plastic garbage bag were the hot tips of the day.

One of the popular demonstrations was rappelling. Right: Chris Northrop starts down the rock. Below left: Chris demonstrates how to tie off the rope to allow hands free work. Below right: Chris gives a closeup demonstration on how to control your descent to an interested group of children.

These next two pictures show Chris Northrop and Mike Leyden demonstrating how to use an ice axe to save your self if you fall on an ice covered slope.

The knot board was a big hit. Thanks goes out to Karen Jacobi for setting it up. Right: Chris Northrop and Judy Clark from the NE-K9 discuss how to tie a knot Below left: Chris demonstrates how to tie a knot to Judy Clark and Nancy Lyons. Below right: Chris again shows a visitor how to tie a knot.

Mike Leyden explains how an avalanche transceiver can be used to locate a person trapped under the snow from an avalanche.
In this picture, Matt O'Mara has put on one of the transceivers and has hidden nearby. Mike Leyden is coaching a young man on how to find Matt using the avalanche transceiver.
Another popular demonstration was the use of the vacuum splint and the use of the litter to carry someone out of the wilderness. In this first picture, Matt O'Mara gives directions on the proper way to lift the litter.
A group of "rescuer's" carries their injured classmate to safety.
Probably the biggest hit of the weekend was the tyrolean litter the team hooked up. Lots of rides were given.