The volunteer Mountain Rescue Service has taken a strong stand against outdoor recreation that puts rescuers at risk in these pandemic times.
Jeff Fongemie, 52, of Freedom is vice president of the 44-member organization.
“Exercise is great, and it’s one thing to go out for a road bike ride and you have a crash and you get taken care of by one or two paramedics in an ambulance wearing personal protective equipment and brought to the hospital,” he said.
“It’s another thing to have someone go for a long hike of 3 miles or so on Mount Chocorua and get hurt: That kind of rescue could involve up to 15 people or more,” said Fongemie.
There is no way to perform a rescue and social distance.
“When you do a rescue, you’re in close contact, and you’re all breathing heavy and there is concern that you could bring it home to your families — as one of our members said on our website, this is different because an avalanche doesn’t follow you home to your family,” he continued.
The volunteer service averages 15 rescues a year.
Members late last week posted the following advisory on its website, nhmrs.org:
“As COVID-19 spreads from urban centers into rural areas, including the White Mountains search-and-rescue teams such as Mountain Rescue Service are faced with serious challenges.
“Our team has pledged to recreate close to home and to undertake less risky adventures than we might normally consider reasonable. We ask you to do the same.”
Mountain Rescue Service has a COVID-19 Action Plan in place to guide its operations, said Fongemie.
“We will continue to respond to (search and rescue) incidents as requested by N.H. Fish and Game or the USDA Forest Service — however, our capacity, like all local SAR teams, has been reduced. Recent incidents have highlighted the difficulty of acquiring the proper personal protective equipment to make sure our team members and all others participating in the rescue stay safe,” he said.
“Some of our team members are currently unable or unwilling to participate in operations based on their various risk factors. We are stretched thin and we ask you to keep it local and keep it tame. The mountains will be here for you,” Fongemie concluded.
As Mountain Rescue Service President Steven Dupuis told WMUR-Channel 9 last weekend: “This is a risk that we’re dealing with now that’s nothing like we’re ever dealt with.
He added, “Just understand how many people you put at risk if you need to be rescued. It’s a tremendous amount of people, and we can’t respond quickly.”
In addition to MRS, other search-and-rescue teams include Lakes Region, Pemigewasset and Androscoggin Valley Search and Rescue working in conjunction with New Hampshire Fish and Game Department.
Fish and Game Col. Kevin Jordan offered similar advice.
“We’re recommending people don’t take these epic hikes,” Jordan said. “Don’t use this time to try and catch up on the 4,000-footers but rather stay close to home.”
He recommended people head to less-traveled areas.
“The governor is saying to get outside, and that’s good, but people have to use common sense. If they go to Mount Jasper, and there are 30-45 cars parked there, that’s potential exposure, so go somewhere else and explore your neighborhood, not trying to tackle Mount Lafayette,” he said.
Fish and Game is continuing to average four to six rescues per weekend.
The public pronouncement by the MRS and others followed the closure of the eastern side of Mount Washington and other recreation sites by the White Mountain National Forest on April 3.
The White Mountain National Forest also concurred with CDC pronouncements concerning safe social distancing and not gathering in groups of 10 or more people. For further information, go to .fs.usda.gov/whitemountain.
The Appalachian Mountain Club’s Four Thousand Footer Committee on April 13 issued a statement saying it would “not be accepting peaks ascended during this time period for the lists that we oversee: the White Mountain 4000-footer list (including the four-season award), the New England 4000-footer list, and the New England Hundred Highest list.”
For more, go to www.amc4000footer.org.
The current stay-at-home orders are in effect through May 4 in New Hampshire and Massachusetts; May 15 in Vermont; and May 1 in in Maine. Any or all of these could be extended.
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