Moultonboro island first responder

[Chaselady]

An interesting night on an island in Moultonboro last night. A woman falls, breaks her leg. 911 is called to assist in getting her off the island. She is in excruciating pain. Requests transport to Huggins but is told she will be taken to LRGH...even though it is the other side of the lake from her location.
It takes over an hour for first responders to arrive, in a JON boat, no stretcher. They each grab the woman's arms and help her "hop" down the stairs. They then drop her into a plastic lawn chair to finish carrying her to the boat. The whole time this poor woman is sobbing with pain.
Then the real fun begins. The responders start the boat, it stall, again and again when they put it in gear. Everyone watching from shore knows they must have something wrapped around the prop. 13 tries later, they decide to look at the prop...sure enough.
I'm so glad our island is in Tuftonboro.

[RailroadJoe]

Doesn't Moultonboro have an EMD in their fire department? I know most towns do and they are fast responding to 911 calls. And why Laconia?

[camp guy]

What a terrible experience. First of all, I hope the lady is recovering from the experience and I hope her broken leg was attended to by medical professionals.

Second of all, I hope the management of the Moultonboro rescue squad reads the above post and uses it as a manual for a training session on island rescues, at the very least.

Enough said.

[SunsetPointWentworth]

With the amount of taxes being paid by lake residents, you'd think they would have a state of the art rescue boat. Sounds like the Wolfeboro rescue boat would have made it there faster.

[Chaselady]

I was told there is another Moultonboro rescue boat, but it is up in Lees Mill. That's a real long ride for someone who might be having a heart attack.

[Lake Fan]

My mother has had occasion more than once to use the services of the Tuftonboro Rescue boat for transportation off our island for medical reasons. Considering it was night each time and on an island location, they arrived promptly and were extremely professional and courteous.

Our island association makes an annual donation to the department. It's not a great amount, but we do appreciate their services.

[Lakesrider]

I read this as kind of a nasty post. It would be interesting to see if the rest of the crew was out on other calls being it is a holiday weekend with about a gazillion other non-residents and Summer folk up here. If it was such a debacle why didn't someone get in a boat and take her to shore for a more rapid transfer? When you live on an island you should be a whole lot more prepared for emergencies than mainland people need to be. Maybe she wasn't the only other emergency happening at that time. You might want to give Moultonborough Fire Department some respect and the benefit of the doubt until someone goes to a meeting and asks what happened as I am sure someone will. I hope. Maybe?

[pcmc]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

I read this as kind of a nasty post. It would be interesting to see if the rest of the crew was out on other calls being it is a holiday weekend with about a gazillion other non-residents and Summer folk up here. If it was such a debacle why didn't someone get in a boat and take her to shore for a more rapid transfer? When you live on an island you should be a whole lot more prepared for emergencies than mainland people need to be. Maybe she wasn't the only other emergency happening at that time. You might want to give Moultonborough Fire Department some respect and the benefit of the doubt until someone goes to a meeting and asks what happened as I am sure someone will. I hope. Maybe?

I hope spirits are better today and the leg is ok.

I agree with this above quoted post.
Hopefully the area was well lit up and clear for help to come.
Responders are people too, great people. Why would a group of bystanders observe them in a rescue situation and not suggest the possibility of something caught around the prop. Those guys or gals are under the "microscope" with a lot going through there minds as well.
Hope all is ok.

[Chaselady]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

I read this as kind of a nasty post. It would be interesting to see if the rest of the crew was out on other calls being it is a holiday weekend with about a gazillion other non-residents and Summer folk up here. If it was such a debacle why didn't someone get in a boat and take her to shore for a more rapid transfer? When you live on an island you should be a whole lot more prepared for emergencies than mainland people need to be. Maybe she wasn't the only other emergency happening at that time. You might want to give Moultonborough Fire Department some respect and the benefit of the doubt until someone goes to a meeting and asks what happened as I am sure someone will. I hope. Maybe?

Not meant as a nasty post...just a heads up to Moultonboro island residents about some obvious limitations in the service they may expect. It was 11pm at night. The patient was in extreme pain. It was felt it would be more expedient to have her professionally transported. The people had NO idea it woul take over an hour for help to arrive, and that the assistance would be so unprepared.
It is true, as islanders we need to be somewhat more prepared...but taxes are supposed to provide us with some basic services. This isn't in disrespect to the Moultonboro Fire Department...but somewhere the ball was dropped. As a Tuftonboro resident I see our department almost every other day out training on their boat. Is this an access problem, or a training issue?

[secondcurve]

Originally Posted by Chaselady

Not meant as a nasty post...just a heads up to Moultonboro island residents about some obvious limitations in the service they may expect. It was 11pm at night. The patient was in extreme pain. It was felt it would be more expedient to have her professionally transported. The people had NO idea it woul take over an hour for help to arrive, and that the assistance would be so unprepared.
It is true, as islanders we need to be somewhat more prepared...but taxes are supposed to provide us with some basic services. This isn't in disrespect to the Moultonboro Fire Department...but somewhere the ball was dropped. As a Tuftonboro resident I see our department almost every other day out training on their boat. Is this an access problem, or a training issue?

You're on an island which comes with inherent risks. Similar to hiking on a mountain or being in the back country. Unfortunately, things like this happen in these circumstances. My guess is that your case was handled by back-up. While there are many comforts on the islands these days people should realize it isn't like living in the city. I hope the lady is doing well.

[JDeere]

I have met many of the volunteer EMT's and those who volunteer for the MFD and they are great people who risk their lives to help others BUT that does not mean that they are above reproach. If they were unprepared to deal with an emergency then that fault lies with the volunteers and the town that is responsible with providing them the right training and equipment.

People living on the island have the right to expect and demand the same response that those on the mainland receive ( understanding that their is a limitation on how fast they can get there.)

So, I feel the post was an appropriate way to bring this issue to light.

[SIKSUKR]

Monday morning quarterbacking here but if that were my situation on an island, I would want to get the person to the mainland asap. It cuts the time down if meeting at a well known area and eliminates the rescue trying to find an island address at night which almost certainly will take longer than the resident with local navigation knowledge.

[fatlazyless]

When you consider that you do get charged for ambulance transport in most local NH towns, (but not in Alton), maybe you should be a smart consumer and consider your options. Is going to a hospital really necessary, and is there another way to get to the emergency room such as driving yourself or getting help from a neighbor or someone? Boaters all around Lake Winnipesaukee have always been extremely helpful to come to the aid of boating accidents such as a fire or a capsize, and it would probably be very easy to get someone to transport you without incurring the $5,000 ambulance transport expense.

Back in August, 2006, a 64-year old Vermont woman, being transported with minor injury to her head and foot by a local NH or VT town rescue boat was drowned dead during transport because she was strapped into a transport carry litter and secured to the bow of the boat, an airboat, and the bow got submerged, or something. Do not recall all the details?

http://www.lifesaving.com/node/1223

....and, maybe you want to google ...... "Settlement reached in drowning rescue suit in NH" April 26, 2012

[NH_boater]

I am not sure what is meant by same response, with time limitations. A mainlander can get three ambulances parked at their door in a matter of minutes for comprehensive, in home services. An islander cannot expect three ambulances at their door with the same scope of in home services. It is not the states or town's responsibility to provide equal service to each islander. This is also true for fire fighting and police protection. It is not reasonable to expect mainland-like quality of service. It would be cost prohibitive to try to attain equal services, IMO. The taxes paid do not guarantee equality. If they did, they would probably be 100x or more.

As was already stated, I would not expect the same scope of service for a broken leg if I was hiking in a remote area as I would on Main Street. What happens in January or February?

I believe that you accept this fact when you decide towards island life. I hope the women is fine and has a speedy recovery.

[Sue Doe-Nym]

What was the island and on what part of the island did this emergency occur?

[tis]

I thought all towns charged for an ambulance ride. I, fortunately, have never ridden in one, but family members have and we have always been charged.

[fatlazyless]

Originally Posted by tis

I thought all towns charged for an ambulance ride. I, fortunately, have never ridden in one, but family members have and we have always been charged.

My source of info: Maybe one to two years ago, Argieswife, who was or is a member of the Alton School Committee mentioned in this forum that she was especially proud of the Town of Alton because it provided www.altonfire.org no-charge ambulance transport. Probably, this is just for Alton residents, as opposed to an outside visitor that gets into an automobile accident while in Alton, but I do not really know?

No-charge ambulance transport is probably a very uncommon local NH town practice. I know that in Meredith, the www.stewartsambulance.com will show up and provide medical treatment for free, but once they load you on-board one of their Mercedes Benz-Stewart's ambulances for a trip to the hospital, it will cost you some mega-big-big-bucks if you is un-insured.

So, how does this apply to the islands ........ help....help...help ... probably you is better off waving a canoe paddle around .....and jumping up and down ...... down the end of your dock.....and hitching a freebie ride from some passing motor-boater? For about 60-cents each or 2.40 total, you can get the four 3" high visibility letters H-E-L-P at Walmart and put them on a canoe paddle. You might be very surprised how well that method works for getting help with a capsized sailboat from a passing motorboat!

[SIKSUKR]

Pretty uncalled for.I'm sure the hard working responders would not appreciate your humor.

[Lakesrider]

Not being humorous. Completely serious. Taking it right from the first posting. She made the Moultonborough Department sound like a bunch of ass clowns while touting the Tuftonboro department as being a professionally trained emergency squad, (so much so that she is more than happy enough to add in that she is so glad HER island is in Tuftonboro). Which I am certain they are. If I was a Moultonborough Fire Department or EMT person I would feel that this exemplifies how I was seen, now that such a posting, as the first one, is now on a local forum visited by people not from the area. A clown. A clown that "drops" women into chairs, can't run a Jon boat to save their lives, etc...Which is not the case as anyone whom has ever needed the Moultonborough Fire Department would know. Myself being one of them. I am not disrespecting either Department. More so showing what an unfair posting the first one was without all the facts. So things didn't go quite right that night. Is Tuftonboro without it's bad days as well or is Tuftonboro perfect? The webmaster can pull my pictures if he wants.....But maybe the first post which is highly disrespectful and accusatory, of the men and women who protect and serve us to be shown in such a bad light, should be taken down as well.

[Chaselady]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

Not being humorous. Completely serious. Taking it right from the first posting. She made the Moultonborough Department sound like a bunch of ass clowns while touting the Tuftonboro department as being a professionally trained emergency squad, (so much so that she is more than happy enough to add in that she is so glad HER island is in Tuftonboro). Which I am certain they are. If I was a Moultonborough Fire Department or EMT person I would feel that this exemplifies how I was seen, now that such a posting, as the first one, is now on a local forum visited by people not from the area. A clown. A clown that "drops" women into chairs, can't run a Jon boat to save their lives, etc...Which is not the case as anyone whom has ever needed the Moultonborough Fire Department would know. Myself being one of them. I am not disrespecting either Department. More so showing what an unfair posting the first one was without all the facts. So things didn't go quite right that night. Is Tuftonboro without it's bad days as well or is Tuftonboro perfect? The webmaster can pull my pictures if he wants.....But maybe the first post which is highly disrespectful and accusatory, of the men and women who protect and serve us to be shown in such a bad light, should be taken down as well.

Wow, someone is certainly turning this into a personal battle. I feel like this forum should allow for information freely given about life on the lake. As an islander, I think it's important to know what their expectations should be. As a person who spent a lifetime in critical care nursing, I would be the last person to " disrespect " first responders. But I also found it frightening to discover such limitations in services. And so did the numerous people who witnessed what happened that night.

[tis]

Fll, I apologize, I read your post wrong. You said towns other than Alton DO charge for service and that is what I thought, although I didn't know for sure.

[dave603]

Everyone here who happens to live out on one of the islands, and even those ashore needs to remember.
It's NOT always a good thing to move someone that's been hurt.
Depending on the injury, you could be causing more damage than you are helping. Sometimes even in a case of a broken leg, depending on how bad the break is. I've seen bones out in bad breaks. Moving those is tricky at times.

That's what first a responder is trained to access.
If this case had been a... let's say a back or neck injury, I'm sure they would NOT have thrown her into a jon boat.

[windsail]

Just think how long you have to wait in the ER lol They do the best they can. Sometimes things like this make emergency squads try to find a way to do it better.

[DOWISLANDER]

Chase Lady had all the facts exactly correct. No stretcher,no wheel chair and not able to operate a boat. Probably didn't have a NH boaters license? As an Islander the best option is get in your own boat and meet the responders on the mainland.
We keep an AED mounted outside our camp and everyone knows it's here.
Would like to see some way to get a better response from MFD but don't really know how best to accomplish that, these are the things you need to accept as an Island resident. ( wouldn't change living on the island for anything)

[hampfarms]

I rarely write on the forum because I feel we should make individual decisions in the area based on our own experiences but this one has hit close to home. YES, us island people have made a conscious decision to live on an island and it does come with some inconveniences. Chaselady is quite accurate with what happened over the labor day weekend. Moultonborough has a year old fire/rescue boat that operates out of Lee's Mills. Last year there was another island person at my house that was having a potential heart attack (he survived one on island several years ago) after being taken to Lakes Region Hospital. I personally would of carried this man onto my boat and taken him to Pier 19 to be met by first responders but his family thought it best to call 911 and have them come to the island. Yes, the new boat came to our island and it took about 1 hour. I'm happy to say he did not have a heart attack but being we live on an island we do have an AED. Maybe being this island is so far from Lee's Mills we can have an agreement with Tuftonboro to be the responder. We are all grateful for the men and women that do respond in these unfortunate situations. Thank you Chaselady for starting this thread. Let's in a positive way try to make a difference that some day might save a life.

[ITD]

I've been reading this thread with interest. I am not an island resident but I think those of you who feel this is a problem, and it looks like it may be one to me, should approach the fire chief and the selectmen with your issues. I suggest a friendly, non accusatory approach, I can't for the life of me believe that a paid or volunteer firefighter or EMT wants to do anything but the best possible job, especially on a rescue mission like this. It sounds like these guys did the best they could with what they have, it sounds like they need help to make the service they provide better, either in equipment, or training or both. The best way to get that going is to make the issue known on an official level.

[HellRaZoR004]

Some people have mentioned they have AED's, but do you know how to use them or the proper training?

[songkrai]

I took EMT training decades ago. At community college. I never became an EMT - just wanted to have knowledge/skills. The course is open to all.

Most cities/towns require all firefighters to be certified EMT's.

If you live on an island might be a good idea to set up a plan for such emergencies.

Might have been better/quicker to make a splint - then take injured to nearest main land dock - and have ambulance - waiting - to transport to hospital.

All island folk should have an emergency plan. If others on island - get together.

[Winnisquamguy]

What island has the fire truck?

[fatlazyless]

A couple years ago, the Meredith Fire Dept got two snowmobiles for getting out to the islands. Considering the Cattle Landing town dock now has ice-eaters in use on the right side of the dock to protect the two fiberglass, floating dock pylons on that side, as well as the third pylon down the front end, how would the snowmobiles get out onto the lake ice what with the open water in that spot?

Lovejoy Sands-Shep Brown's is mostly all open water as well?

Am not familiar with Y-Landing's snowmobile access?

Leavitt Beach, close to Center Harbor, probably has good snowmobile access, but it could be a long ride out to Bear Island or someplace.

[Lakesrider]

"and not able to operate a boat. Probably didn't have a NH boaters license?"

And yet they made it to the correct Island, In the dark, at 11pm? Yeah they must be completely incompetent.

Still waiting to hear if Chaselady was actually there.

[Chaselady]

Originally Posted by Lakesrider

"and not able to operate a boat. Probably didn't have a NH boaters license?"

And yet they made it to the correct Island, In the dark, at 11pm? Yeah they must be completely incompetent.

Still waiting to hear if Chaselady was actually there.

I never said I was...
I had family members and friends there.
I don't appreciate you calling me a liar, and twisting my words .

[flatlander02138]

As a Firefighter it is hard to hear someone had such a bad experience or they had to wait an hour. However I also started my carreer as a small town volunteer Firefighter in NH and must defend them.

In a nutshell, you get what you pay for. If you want to pay for fulltime ALS certified firefighters to sit at the station between the two calls per day on average you can. If you want to have a fiberglass cuddy cabin rescue boat at every dock you can. The fact is that being a volunteer takes hundreds of hours of training and then hundreds more away from your family, doing calls and administrative crap.

So if ur loved one codes or breaks a leg I would call 911 and load them in a boat headed for the mainland ASAP (with a sober operator) to meet the ambulance. Thats what most people do.

Yes if you have a neck or spinal trauma suspected it may be best to shelter in place but most times getting to the main land speeds up service.

[Lakesrider]

Originally Posted by Chaselady

I never said I was...
I had family members and friends there.
I don't appreciate you calling me a liar, and twisting my words .

Good to know. You were not even there so your posting was hearsay. Therefore not facts because it is second hand. I don't appreciate you setting up a thread calling people incompetent from a second hand account...
There was no twisting of words. I used your words in quotations. Can't twist quotes. Maybe next time you tell a "Story" You will use facts, and not put in your own embellishments in order to make the story seem so much more sensational. It wasn't fair to the responders and it sets you up for a slander lawsuit as YOU put it in writing. We can keep going but, I used Your words and that IS a fact.

[Coolbreeze]

Thank you lakesrider.

[secondcurve]

Is it true the lady who broke her leg was drunk? That is the story I heard. Thanks

[Pineedles]

Originally Posted by secondcurve

Is it true the lady who broke her leg was drunk? That is the story I heard. Thanks

Are you trolling? I think Lakesrider summed it up pretty well with the following:

You were not even there, so your posting was hearsay.

[Chaselady]

This will be my last response to all of this nonsense. I NEVER stated in my thread that I was present at the episode on the island in Moultonboro last Friday.
I had a family member and friends report to me what happened and I felt it was important enough to post on the forum. I felt it was important for islanders to know what the issues are.
I also knew there were those on the forum who would take a personal affront and attack me in any way they could to attempt to discredit my account, as it was, truly secondhand. So I was in touch with people who actually witnessed the incident, on the island. They are forum members and added their input, and confirmed what I said, even though some people prefer to ignore that.
I have discovered there are two kinds of people who belong to forums...those that take the info, and do something positive with it...and those that wait to jump all over those that post any info, for whatever personal reasons they may have.

[DOWISLANDER]

Hey Lakersider you have a pretty big mouth and a lot so big opinions I personally know what went on and Chaselady has all the facts 100% correct so why don't you do everyone a favor and keep your MOUTH Shut!!!!!

[Just Sold]

Originally Posted by Winnisquamguy

What island has the fire truck?

I believe it is Sandy Island at the camp there.