Rescuers honored for life-saving work

By RICK GREEN, LACONIA DAILY SUN

LACONIA — A man was in frigid Lake Winnipesaukee with a broken leg, his snowmobile on an embankment 20 feet over his head and in danger of falling on him. Firefighter Heidi Beaulac was lowered by rope to the injured man, who was in 3 feet of icy water, where two of his friends were holding onto him.

That was the scene on Dec. 31 near a railroad right of way north of Weirs Beach. The actions of the firefighters on that call earned them a unit citation, presented Wednesday night at the annual LRGHealthcare EMS Awards Banquet in Beane Conference Center.

The man ended up in the lake after being thrown from his machine when he swerved to avoid snowmobiles that had stopped in front of him.

While Beaulac treated him, Lt. John-Paul Hobby and firefighter Deborah Black tied his snowmobile to trees to ensure it would not fall on those below.

Firefighters Jason Griffin and Raymond Bushey then arrived in an ambulance. The man was secured to a harness, lifted out of the water and up the embankment so he could be transported to the hospital. His friends also were transported for treatment of hypothermia.

Laconia Fire Chief Ken Erickson praised the crew.

"This is an example of ingenuity and teamwork to effect a difficult rescue and treat a seriously injured person," Erickson said. "In Lt. Hobby's words, 'The crew came together under very adverse conditions, provided excellent care and performed a very difficult rescue, in deep snow, far removed from their equipment, with minimal rope rescue gear."

Laconia Fire Department, which has experienced growth in call volume, particularly of the medical variety, was named "Service of the Year."

In other awards, firefighter and paramedic Gina Harris of Belmont Fire Department was named "EMS Provider of the Year."

She started her career in Andover in 1992, as a firefighter and an emergency medical technician. She later passed the Franklin Hospital paramedic program, and has worked in the emergency room at that hospital. Along the way, she has raised two children.

"Her thirst for knowledge never ends, and most of the time she is her own worst critic," Belmont Fire Capt. Mike Newhall said.

"She checks on her patients after the fact to find out what their outcome is," he said. "She has even visited patients at their home and followed up with them, and in many cases befriended them. This shows the compassion and integrity she has. She takes her job to heart, and everyone she comes in contact with is better because of it."

In other awards:

­­­Firefighters with the Gilmanton and Belmont departments were given a unit citation in recognition of a call on Feb. 1 in which a 75-year-old man complaining of chest pain had a cardiac event while being prepared for transport to a hospital. Emergency responders used an automated external defibrillator to restore proper heart rhythm. He was later treated in a hospital and in a catheterization lab before being released.

Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Communications Center Dispatchers won the Paul Racicot Award. Jonathan M. Goldman, chief coordinator of the center, explained their work.

"Though all their work is out of the public's eye, the first point of contact in any call for help is a dispatcher," he said. "Behind the scenes, they are diligently working to quickly gather information from callers; where is the problem, what's going on, who's involved, what are the injuries, gathering phone numbers, GPS coordinates, are there weapons involved, and on and on, all the while trying to keep the caller calm."

Laconia Fire Department also received a unit citation for a particularly challenging motor vehicle accident on Endicott Street East on June 27.

Fire Lt. David French described the difficulties in freeing a person from the vehicle.

"The victim was impaled by the driver's door and suffered extreme trauma," he said.

The person in the car had serious injuries, including a leg that had been nearly cut off.

"Necessary tools and equipment was set up and put into operation without delay," French said. "The extrication required eyes on and experience to evaluate progress. Initial plans needed to be changed and modified as operations progressed. This was done smoothly and fluidly and demonstrated an exceptional team effort.

"The actions of the crew exemplify great teamwork and no doubt saved the victim's life."

Alton Fire/Rescue Department and Alton Police Department were also given a unit citation for a cardiac call on Dec. 11. They responded to a call in which a 55-year-old woman was not breathing. Intervention by the emergency responders was successful in restoring respiration and circulation.

"The patient was awake and answering questions prior to being loaded into the ambulance for transport," according to the description of the call," said Alton Fire Lt. Justin Kantar. "Patient was ultimately discharged from the hospital a week or so later after a long battle with infections speculated to be the cause of her arrest. The patient to this day is living healthy."

Kendra Pealsee of Lakes Region General Hospital and Lt. JP Hobby, Ray Bushey, Jason Griffin, Deb Black, and Heidi Beaulac, all of the Laconia Fire Department were honored at an EMS awards banquet Wednesday. The firefighters received a unit citation for a difficult rescue after a snowmobile accident. (Rick Green/Laconia Daily Sun)