A new tilt style trailer accelerates time to rescue on critical, life-saving missions- The next donation from the foundation

Tuftonboro Fire Rescue was the first town on lake Winnipesaukee to have an airboat. This vessel, a 2005 Yankee Badger Airboat, has been a critical resource for all of the towns on the lake. What people don’t always keep in mind, is that while the airboat itself is an incredibly useful tool to perform rescues, there are other critical accessories that help maximize the effectiveness and response time.

The foundation is pleased to provide to the town of Tuftonboro a new tilt-style trailer that will not only maximize the potential of this airboat, but is also going to be utilized in the coming years when Tuftonboro is able to secure a new airboat for the Fire Rescue team.

The new trailer carries the airboat

A Q&A with Tuftonboro Fire Department Captain, Chris Morgan

Q. Can you tell us a little more about the challenges you have today with the existing trailer for the airboat

A.    Our current airboat is set up to deploy off a traditional boat trailer. There have been several fabrications and modifications to the current trailer to improve the speed and safety of the launch.  While many contribute and provide some benefits, none have provided us with a long-term solution.  Launching to deploy this into open water is as pretty straightforward and can be as quick as dunking a traditional boat.  The challenges and delays arise when the launch sites are iced over or traditional boat launch sites are unavailable.  Over the years, we have developed systems and variations to safely deploy to the ground while working to reduce or prevent damage to the equipment depending on the surface to which we must launch.  These methods are either quite fast and safe but cause significant wear and damage or are slow and easy on the equipment but are more prone to causing injury to the responders.  Either option is unfavorable!

The benefit to the airboat is its capability to operate on the ground as well as on ice and water and those unsafe and unpredictable transitions in between. 

Q. Why is a trailer the integral component to your missions? 

A. With the growing number of airboats being used primarily for rescue across the United States, education and evidence-based knowledge have shown that the delay in response from initiation to alarm to patient contact falls greatly to the ability of agencies to safely and efficiently deploy and put their vessel underway. When the average adult can become incapacitated in less than 15 minutes and kids in less than 10, it’s imperative that the rescue team be equipped as efficiently as possible to create a smooth and fast response.  This trailer will greatly reduce response times for years to come.  

Q. Tell us more about the benefit of this particular trailer?

A. With the donation from your foundation, we have been able to purchase a tilt deck style trailer. This will allow for the traditional in-water launch as well as tilting and a controlled lowering via a powered winch.  This offers a safe and efficient upgrade and removes the barriers we currently face with deploying on variable ground conditions.

Q. We know that Tuftonboro Fire is looking to replace the current airboat with a newer model. Can you tell us a little more about the plans to obtain the airboat and how this trailer will remain in use even with the vessel change?

A. Our current vessel is a 2005. Our anticipated lifespan for this apparatus is 25 years, which positions us to begin the replacement process in a year. We were slated to have two contributions to the Capital Improvement Program and reserve funds toward the boat, one in 2024 and the second in 2025. However, with many competing priorities the funds from the town are not a guarantee. Our town meeting is not until March, and we won’t know until then whether or not these will be funded. 

In the chance that the funding is not secured, we are still working diligently to seek alternative funding methods. Our Firefighters Association is committed to raising funds through additional donations and annual fundraisers that support the acquisition of equipment just like this. In fact, they contributed about 45% of the initial cost of the boat we have in service.  By the time the boat is due for replacement, it’s possible the Firefighters Association may have close to the same percentage raised.  Unfortunately, at this time, we do not have a solid number of secured funds. 

The trailer we spec’d out is a 22’ trailer that will be capable of hauling a 20’ boat.  Our current is 18’. The intent with this trailer acquisition is to begin using a piece of equipment that enables us to respond faster and safer while allowing growth for the next vessel.  It will also allow us to put it in operation and work out the cobwebs before we finalize the next boat design.  Allowing us to make any necessary changes to the design before we finalize the purchase agreement. The plan is when the time comes to liquidate the current boat, it will be sold with its original trailer, and the trailer your team aided us with will remain in service with the Tuftonboro Fire Rescue Dept and the new boat.   

This upgraded trailer being capable of supporting a replacement boat as well as our current, will offset the future replacement cost and likely assist us in acquiring a full replacement that much sooner. 

NH Fire Academy Certified Ice Rescue class 

5 year anniversary donation revolutionizes lake safety

5 years ago, Mark and Dave lost their lives on Lake Winnipesaukee in Moultonborough. At roughly the same time that day, another person fell through the ice and could not be rescued. He was in Alton at the time of the accident. To mark the 5 year anniversary of the tragedy, the foundation has chosen the town of Alton to be the next recipient of a donation. Through the help of our incredible support system, we were able to provide the Alton Fire Department with the following safety and rescue items:

• DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced Drone

• Airboat trailer and grass rake

• LED lights for the airboat

• Garmin GPS for the airboat

We recently spoke with Captain/A-EMT Patrick O’Brien, from the Alton Fire Department about how we are revolutionizing rescues on the lake through the launch of the lake’s first drone search and rescue program. Continue reading to hear more about how these donations are game changers when it comes to rescue teams getting to people as quickly and effectively as possible.

DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced Drone

Q. We are really excited to be donating a drone to your Fire Department. This will be the first drone owned and operated by a Fire Department on the lake. How is this drone going to be used and why was this such an important addition to your department's resources?

A. In terms of Lake Winnipesaukee, I believe this will be the first Fire Department owned drone of this caliber. The DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Advanced is a tried and tested airframe with an absolutely incredible camera system allowing for significant zoom capabilities and infrared night vision. This camera system will allow us to see longer distances and locate heat signatures very quickly especially at night! It’s like having real time google earth or street view. This device deployed in conjunction with our airboat will increase the efficiency of the crew by identifying the target and GPS coordinates so the boat can go directly to the point of interest. There are also opportunities for drones to carry and drop items such as flotation devices, this will largely be effected by weather but we intend to test those abilities as soon as the program comes together. This will likely be used mostly on search and rescue operations both on land and on the water and forest fire incidents.

Where this device will be critical is while the crews are suiting up getting equipment ready, this unit can be pinpointing the destination. This will increase our speed to response by giving us an accurate destination to travel to. Alton is part of the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid Association which covers 35+ communities! With this extensive system we are happy to support any of our neighboring agencies.

Q. Can you provide some examples of how a drone like this one has been used in the past for other search and rescue departments?

A. Drones are just becoming popular in the rescue world in the northeast. However, there are numerous cases of these units locating missing, lost or injured people using the thermal camera. Before these, Fire Department personnel or independent rescue teams would do hasty searches in the area where the individual was believed to be, then working dogs were called in to search. This has sometimes caused trouble due to multiple scent tracks, and finally if still not found grid searches would be performed where rescuers would walk in a line through various areas searching by eye. These devices deployed early can search from above for heat signatures greatly improving the time to locate potential victims getting them to safety. Lost children, elderly, those effected by dementia or Alzheimer’s, are typical demographics where this may be utilized.

Q. What does training look like to obtain a license and how many people will go through training and be able to pilot the drone?

A. Training to be a drone pilot is no joke! FAA part 107 UAS Operator is a 60 question test that is standardized and must be completed at a testing center. On average 20-30 hours of course work and studying is required. Because these units fly very close to manned aircraft airspace, it is important to know where you plan to fly to keep the air space safe. There are many regulations and airspace rules pilots need to be aware of. We plan to have 5-10 pilots on the department, and also plan to use some of our law enforcement partners as pilots as well through combined training.

Q. Your department will be receiving a new trailer for your airboat. Without this trailer, how have you been able to use the airboat and what limitations have you been operating under?

A. Currently it can take up to 30 minutes to reload the boat. With the new trailer this process should only take seconds.  The new trailer will allow us to load the boat from flat ground level as actual airboat trailers are much lower to the ground. When the boat was donated, it came with a conventional boat trailer which makes reloading difficult because of how tall the bunks are. Currently we need to find a steep transition in the land or a snowbank to reload the boat. This can sometimes be very challenging especially in low snow conditions. The reason why this is most critical is if we ever need to move the boat during a mission, or if we are on a training mission and get deployed for an actual incident.

Q. The team is also going to receive a new GPS, LED lights and rake. How do these tools support your department in safety, search and rescue?

A. The original donation of the boat to the town did not offer many of these items. We were able to install some used items from previous apparatus but this equipment was outdated and not user friendly. The new GPS unit will have a significantly larger screen, more up to date maps, and the ability to operate side scan sonar, this will greatly improve our navigation abilities. The work lighting package is also being upgraded as the original lighting was not well suited for freezing conditions, frequently freezing up and had poor long distance visibility. The “grass rake” is a large piece of aluminum that extends up from the bow of the boat, this helps us have a more smooth transition from land to ice to water, providing more of a ramp and keeping water from splashing up over the bow. All of these items add up to increased efficiency when seconds count!

Improving communications among New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation: The foundation's next donation

Four in from the left is Lieutenant Bradley Morse pictured with his team

A Q&A with Lieutenant Bradley Morse

Question: Can you start by telling us what team you are a part of and who your team consists of?

Answer: I am the Lieutenant from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Conversation. Lake Winnipesaukee is located in the center of Fish and Game Law Enforcement District Two. One of our primary responsibilities is to patrol Lake Winnipesaukee. We routinely patrol the lake on boat during the open water season and on snowmobile or ATV during the closed ice season. We are the only law enforcement and search and rescue organization in the state that has that responsibility. By statute, we are required to respond to any call for assistance and conduct any search and rescue mission required.

Fish and Game Law Enforcement District Two is composed of 34 towns, the center of which is Lake Winnipesaukee. We have one Lieutenant, one Sergeant and five Conservation Officers. In addition to a cruiser, each officer is assigned between one and three boats, an ATV and a snowmobile. These motorized vehicles are used for routine patrol and search and rescue operations.

Question: Can you please describe the grant request that was fulfilled by The Mark O’Connell Foundation?

 Answer: We are being granted seven sets of a portable radio helmet kits that would be utilized by the Fish and Game Conversation officers who patrol Lake Winnipesaukee. The kit is attached to a portable radio and comes with an internally mounted head set for monitoring the radio, an internal microphone, and a wireless push to talk device to activate the radio. 

New Hampshire Fish and Game snowmobiles line up on the ice

Question: What equipment does the team use today for communications? 

Answer: We currently carry handheld radios with a portable speaker while operating ATVs and snowmobiles. Due to the loud noise of the operating vehicle, wind and requirement to wear a helmet, it is difficult to monitor radio communications. Often times we miss calls from our dispatching agencies and have difficulties with radio communications, especially in extreme weather conditions due to cold, wind, snow and rain.

Question: How will this equipment make the lake a safer place?

Answer: This equipment will reduce the chance of dispatch calls being missed and will allow us to continue pursuit of emergency situations while maintaining communications. It will be a critical asset to our team.   

Note from the foundation: The equipment has been ordered through a local supplier in Moultonborough, Nh and will be installed November 2019. Check out our Facebook page this winter for updates on the equipment.

The first annual Dave Crosier and Mark O'Connell Golf Classic was a success!

The first annual Dave Crosier and Mark O'Connell Golf Classic was held on June 20th at Highfields Country Club in Grafton. All proceeds benefited The Mark O'Connell Foundation for Lake Winnipesaukee Safety.

Despite the heavy rain in the morning, players went out on the green for a day of fun and competition. Teams were made up of friends, family  or people who were impacted by the story of Dave and Mark's lives. The event raised over $21,000, all of which will be used to purchase safety equipment and training for the emergency response and rescues teams of Lake Winnipesaukee. 

We are thrilled to announce that our second grant request has been approved and will be purchased this summer.

The foundation will be supplying The New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation with communication equipment that can be installed inside helmets for all officers assigned to patrol Lake Winnipesaukee. 

Today, officers are carrying handheld radios with a portable speaker while operating ATV’s and snowmobiles.  Due to the noise of the vehicles and weather like high winds and rain, calls are often missed or officers must stop driving in pursuit of an emergency to get updated information. By giving these officers improved communication equipment, we can expedite the process of officers recieving critical information about emergency situations.

Be on the lookout for a Q&A with Lt. Bradley Morse, about the helmet communication equipment!

Thanks for the love and support and always remember to Celebrate Everything!

Non-profit status has been granted!

The Bouchard Trio Celebrating Everything!

We’ve reached a monumental milestone as a foundation. The United States Government officially recognizes us as a 501(c)(3) non-profit.

We submitted this application in the beginning of August 2018 and we were given our approval in April 2019. That means we had 8 months of waiting on top of the countless hours it took us to prepare our application for submission.

If you aren’t familiar with the process of applying for non-profit status, allow me to briefly fill you in on what it takes. We are required to submit an application with all appropriate addendums to the IRS. This application took us months to put together and it included outlining details of how our foundation will run, including officer roles, bylaws, goals and fundraising plans. We also had to showcase our marketing materials and website, detail all financial activities to date, and agree to follow all governing rules for non-profits. Special shoutout to Kara Bouchard, for her meticulous attention to detail in the organization of this application.

Why did we become a 501(c)(3)?

There are so many advantages to becoming a non-profit. Most importantly, your donations are eligible as a tax deduction (remember to submit this information to your accountant!) Other benefits include:

• Exemption from Federal income tax (this means we keep more money in our pockets to donate back to the community)

• Exemption from state income tax

• Discounts on key services like banking

• Eligible donations from corporate programs.

How will we use this new status?

We are focused on corporate fundraising! How can you help? Ask your HR office or Community Affairs team if they have a matching program. Many companies will match your donation if you provide our EIN number. This means your $100 donation becomes $200 with just a click! How great is that?

Our EIN number is 82-2379328

We have some exciting matching programs in the works and will announce details soon. Email us through the contact us section of this site to discuss partnerships.

In the meantime, the entire foundation team is Celebrating Everything!

The fabulous Bouchard Brothers (Ben, 3, and Connor, 6)

Our first donation

February has been a very productive month for the foundation. We hosted a booth at the Pond Hockey Classic and the Great Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby. We also purchased the hovercraft and held a dedication ceremony with the Moultonborugh Fire and Rescue team.

The Air Rider AR-45 SAR hovercraft was purchased from Gordon Bay Marine in Seguin, Ontario. The manufacturing time was about 8 weeks. Gordon Bay was great to work with, they answered all of our questions and made the process easy. I had the chance to learn a lot about hovercrafts and shipping things internationally.

A small crew from Moultonborough Fire and Rescue drove to Gordon Bay Marine for hovercraft training. They spent a day learning about the vehicle, the mechanics, and driving it. The team is committed to becoming experts and they have already mastered so much in such a short time.

Adam from Moultonborough Fire and Rescue drives the hovercraft

February 9, 2019, a group of family, friends gathered at the Moultonborough Public Safety Building for a dedication ceremony. The hovercraft shined with the morning light, hitting it’s bright red color. Everyone had a chance to go inside of the hovercraft and experience this powerful machine. A few speeches were shared and the hovercraft was officially handed over to the town of Moultonborough, dedicated in memory of Dave Crosier and Mark O’Connell.

Moulotnborough Fire and Rescue has been taking the hovercraft out to other towns on the lake for training. They are also attending other public events to educate the public. They have been an incredible partner to us throughout this process and we are so grateful for this partnership.

How a hovercraft will transform safety on our lake

A hovercraft provides the capability for emergency rescue teams to safely meet the extreme transitional surface challenges of land, water and ice. It gives emergency rescue crews the ability to reach victims in an emergency situation regardless of their location and the conditions of the lake and terrain.

Lake Winnipesaukee currently does not have a hovercraft available. There is a single airboat located in Tuftonborough. The addition of a single hovercraft is paramount to improve the ability to rescue victims.

So why don’t all rescue teams have access to these important safety vehicles? It's simply a limitation in access to resources. These rescue boats are expensive and also require personnel training to ensure safe handling.

Through the work of our foundation, we will provide Moultonborough with an Air Rider Hovercraft AR45 Search and Rescue vehicle. This will also include staff training directly with the manufacturers in Ontario, Canada. This effort could not be done without the cooperation of the Moultonborough Fire Chief and his staff.

The hovercraft will be maintained and managed by the Moultonborough Fire Rescue, but it will be a vital resource to all of the towns surrounding the lake. The Fire Rescue teams coordinate rescue resources across all 8 towns.

Want to know how the Fire Department plans to manage this important asset? Read the Q&A with Fire Chief Bengtson below.

Question: Where will the hovercraft be stored?

Answer: There are two fire stations, one at 948 Moultonboro Neck Road (next to JoJo’s Country Store) and the Public Safety Building located at 1035 Whittier Highway. It could be housed at either station, but it will most likely go to the Moultonboro Neck Road station as that sits it the in middle of the Lake Winnipesaukee area of town.

Question: When will the hovercraft be deployed? 

Answer: It would be deployed for any ice/water rescue incident that Moultonborough is dispatched to or requested mutual aid for. When it becomes available as a resource, we would notify each fire department of a community (Alton, Gilford, Laconia, Meredith, Center Harbor, Tuftonboro, Wolfeboro) on Lake Winnipesaukee that the hovercraft is available to respond to any emergency on the Lake. It would be then up to that community to add it to their response cards or special request it. As members of the Lakes Region Mutual Fire Aid system, the hovercraft would be listed in the LRMFA resource list and could be made available to any one of the 38 member communities upon request as well as to NH Fish & Game and NH Marine Patrol. 

Question: Who gets to make the call to deploy the hovercraft? 

Answer: In Moultonborough, any fire department personnel can deploy any resource or apparatus of the department based upon the incident type or mutual aid request.

Question: During large event days, such as the Meredith Rotary Fishing Derby or The Pond Hockey Classic, will there be a plan to have the hovercraft out and on the ice proactively? If so, where will it be? patrolling? 

Answer: Upon receiving the hovercraft, Moultonborough Fire Rescue would begin making regular patrols (weekly or daily dependent upon weather conditions) of the response areas on Lake Winnipesaukee to check ice conditions. This would serve two purposes, one to become better familiarized with the craft and secondly, and most importantly, to identify hazard areas of open water and thin ice conditions. For events like pond hockey, which are out of town, we would make it available and coordinate with the fire department there to fit their operational plans. For the ice fishing derby, it would be best to coordinate with NH Fish & Game and the other Winnipesaukee community fire departments on a resource deployment plan based upon the hazards known and placing the hovercraft in an area where it could be deployed quickly to address those hazards.

Our 1 year update

Shannon, Kara and Debbie with Fire Chief Bengston

It has been just about one year since we launched the Foundation! So what have we accomplished in 1 year and what do we plan to do next? Let me tell you!

1 year accomplishments

• Launched our website and facebook page
• Held 4 Celebrate Everything t-shirt campaigns
• Partnered with Yankee Candle for on-going candle campaign (Did you buy yours?)
• Met with the Fire Chief of Moultonorough and the Lieutenant of New Hampshire Fish and Game
• Received Celebrate Everything photos from all over the country and the world! We've reached as far as Australia and New Zealand! Keep the photos coming!
• Submitted our application for 501(c)(3) status
• Raised a total of $17,268

What's next?

• We are waiting on our application to be approved to make us an official non-profit! We will certainly be celebrating when this comes through for us, and it will kick off the big push we need to continue fundraising.
• We will be hosting a booth at the 2019 Annual Ice Fishing Derby (interested in helping us at the booth, let us know!)
• We hope to make our first purchase! We worked with the town of Moultonorough to pick out a hover craft. The goal is to raise $85,000 to buy the boat and trailer. 
• We are hosting the first ever MFO Golf Tournament on June 20, 2019 at Highfields in Grafton, Massachusetts. A formal save the date is coming soon! 

Thanks for all the love and support from all of you! We are thrilled that not only is this foundation helping to save lives but it has also become a campaign to live life to the fullest. We love the spirit that all of you have given to this foundation and can't wait to see it spread!

2018 Laconia Motorcycle Week

One of the great events on Lake Winnipesaukee is Laconia Motorcycle Week, also known as Bike Week.  Bike Week is a motorcycle rally held annually in June in Laconia, New Hampshire. It started back in June 1916 and at the time only lasted a couple of days. People came from across the country to participate in festivities.  Events included races, shows and a motorcycle hill climb competition.  As it became more of a tourist attraction the few days turned into a now nine-day event.  

After some motorcycle gang and police activity in the 1960’s, strict rules were implemented which decreased Bike Week’s popularity.  It wasn’t until the early 1990’s, when the local community formed the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Association and now the nine-day event continues to be a huge attraction and busy time on Lake Winnipesaukee. 

This year’s events will run June 9 until June 17. The Rally Headquarters is open daily 8am-9pm on the Weirs Beach Boardwalk.  There are several events to participate in every day.  For more information please go to the Laconia Motorcycle Rally and Race Association webpage at http://laconiamcweek.com/

We'll be there! Look for pictures on our Facebook page during the event. 

Safety Tips

Here are a few safety tips for motorcycle riding.

1. Wear a safety helmet even when it’s not required by law
2. Wear protective clothing
3. Give plenty of space between motorcyclists and other vehicles
4. Don’t drink and ride

Celebrate Everything

Our "Celebrate Everything" shirt campaign was a huge success for the foundation. Thank you to the many friends and family who purchased shirts and wear them proudly. We love receiving pictures of you in your shirts, so please keep them coming!  Thanks to your support, we raised over $4,000 towards our winter rescue vehicle. 

Why Celebrate Everything?

You may wonder, why do we promote the phrase "Celebrate Everything" when this foundation was founded based on tragedy? The answer is simple. Mark would want us to. Mark was known for elaborate celebrations, emotional toasts, and being the first to acknowledge the special moment. We continue his legacy by sharing his philosophy. Here is the full version of the profound quote he shared with us:

There will be great joy but there will also be heartache when you least expect it and that's one of the hard parts about life. So remember, celebrate every success. Celebrate every moment of joy and happiness that comes along. Not just the big ones, but every one. Celebrate everything. Those celebrations and special moments and special memories you create will carry you over the challenges that inevitably come in this thing called life - MFO