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By Debbie Bolduc
The rescuers, dressed in heavy gear, were physically drained from pulling themselves out of the icy water time and again. Visibility was nil, and communications failed as radios became waterlogged.
After successfully pulling the ice fisherman from the frigid waters, the men still had a long haul back to shore through the same crumbling ice conditions. If not for the Maine State Game Warden’s air boat meeting them part way, the outcome could have been very bad. “I feared my members might not make it back alive,” recalls Bosse. “It was a sickening feeling.”
The Solution
It was then that Bosse realized there had to be a better way. He began an extensive search for a solution. It wasn’t until he attended the annual Fire Department Instructors Conference (FDIC) a few months later that he started to see the light at the end of the tunnel. That’s when he became acquainted with WISE (Water, Ice, Snow Equipment) Technology and the Amphibious Ice Rescue (AIR) Responder, an amphibious vehicle capable of carrying multiple people-up to 900 pounds combined-across solid and broken ice as well as open water. The vehicle virtually eliminates the risk to rescue personnel who, using traditional methods, may otherwise become victims themselves, as was nearly the case for the Poland crew that evening.
Bosse made arrangements to have WISE Technology demonstrate the versatility of the AIR Responder over the course of months in a variety of cold water conditions. Meanwhile, the rescuers, those who would eventually be using the vehicle, were able to offer some valuable input. It was a win-win collaboration. WISE made improvements to the prototype, and the end result was delivered to the Poland (ME) Fire Department in July 2014.
“We are very excited to be the first in the world to have this valuable lifesaving vehicle. It can go across water, across ice, and anything in between in situations where you can’t safely put another piece of equipment out there,” adds Bosse.
Powered by an unmodified snowmobile, there is almost no learning curve to operate the vehicle. It is so easy to remove the snowmobile that Bosse expects to also use it alone as needed.
The AIR Responder’s specialized features result in reduced rescue time and increased safety for all involved. Its Kevlar®-reinforced fiberglass hull; foam-filled, high-density plastic bottom; and very low center of gravity render the AIR Responder virtually unsinkable. The vehicle is capable of reaching the victim in a fraction of the time of conventional methods, reducing the likelihood of hypothermia. Any necessary medical care can begin as soon as the victim is onboard while the vehicle returns to shore to the waiting ambulance.
Company History
After seeing media accounts of rescue personnel walking gingerly on, or often sprawled across, icy bodies of water to get to a victim, Roger Bailey of Gilford, New Hampshire, thought, “There has to be a better way.” He founded WISE Technology, LLC, in 2011 and, through years of study and prototypes, the AIR Responder was born. This device uses the power and speed of a snowmobile to propel it across a wide variety of ice, snow, and open water at speeds of up to 25 miles per hour without fear of flipping or sinking because of its wide, buoyant design.
In November 2013, WISE Technology collaborated with the Landing School of Arundel, Maine, on constructing the hull. The post-secondary institution, founded in 1978, blends education in modern yacht design, boat building, and marine systems technology into diploma and associate’s degree programs. Together, composite boat building instructor Chis Audy and yacht design instructor Derek Wright built a prototype. Jamie Houtz, a fellow Landing School faculty member and experienced fire captain, weighed in on the design to ensure it would suit rescue workers’ needs. The pair added a structural grid system, which provided added rigidity. They also reduced the weight of the hull by changing the laminate schedule and adding Kevlar to the regions impacted by ice. The result was a more durable hull and increased optimum speeds.
WISE Technology received a patent for the vehicle in February 2014 and delivered its first unit to the Poland (ME) Fire Department that July.
In recent tests the AIR Responder was able to get to an accident victim in less time than it took firefighters to inflate and deploy their inflatable boat. A distance that took 35 minutes round trip took the AIR Responder only six minutes. Because it is propelled by an unaltered snowmobile, speed and ease of steering make a significant difference in situations when the exact location of a victim is not known.
“We are very pleased to participate in this project with WISE Technology,” says Robert DeColfmacker, Landing School president. “This opportunity allowed our faculty to help a local company fulfill its goal of developing a new-to-market product, one that will be used to save countless lives. It’s a great lesson for our students about the positive outcome of collaboration.”
Funding
At a time when many fire departments are fighting for tax dollars just to cover their basic needs, Bosse reports that the Poland Fire Department’s purchase didn’t use any taxpayer dollars. With the help of the Fire Rescue Benevolent Association and the support of town selectmen, the department took delivery of the first AIR Responder ever sold by WISE Technology.
Bosse reports, “The association is doing an amazing job with its continued fundraising, and recent media coverage has brought in additional donations toward the new lifesaving apparatus.”
Bailey understands the limited budgets most fire departments are working with. “With the popularity of crowdfunding options like Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, to name just a few, we’re anticipating a lot of creative fundraising by interested fire departments as a way to purchase the AIR Responder,” he says.
DEBBIE BOLDUC owns and operates BizBuzz Marketing Partners, a marketing firm in the Lakes Region area of Central New Hampshire.
