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The Waterbury Backcountry Rescue Team
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Over the last 30 years the local emergency services have been responding to the backcountry for rescues when called. Due to the popularity of the local trail systems the numbers of responses have been increasing. In the past the responders were the primary ambulance crew and the local fire departments. Because these types of calls were uncommon these agancies would respond as they normally would. For the ambulance this usually meant sneakers or light hiking boots with a jumpsuit and light jacket. For the fire depts this often meant bunker pants and fire boots. The majority of calls happen in the evening and into the night. As the fire dept normally responds with handheld lights they were usually the only ones to be able to provide lights after dark.
In 1995, due to the increase in calls the ambulance put together a team of its members who were willing to respond to these calls. Response guidelines were tightened and those responding were better equiped to operate comfortably in the backcountry. Still, this was a loose organization that did not have any specific training for responses.
In 2001 several members of the ambulance and fire depts got together to form a specialized low angle response team. This team would have the training and equipment to operate in the backcountry with each member having enough equipment to stay out for up to 24 hours. Waterbury Ambulance Service offered to be the host provider for the team and in early 2002 the team was was officially formed.
Since that time the team has grown and surrently still has many members of the ambulance and fire dept, but also includes
other peaople who have a great interest in the outdoors as well as helping people.
WBRT Mission Statement
B-24 Liberator Crash, Camels Hump, 1944
