FFs Use Tracking Software to Find Lost ME Woman

Falmouth firefighters are crediting first responder technology with helping them locate a woman who became lost in the woods behind Oxford Woods Drive Wednesday evening.

Falmouth Fire Chief Howard Rice said emergency dispatchers got a call around 4:35 p.m. reporting that a hiker had become lost in the woods.

Dispatchers advised the caller to have the hiker call 9-1-1. Once that happened, it gave the dispatcher the ability to relay the hiker’s latitude and longitude coordinates to firefighters. Two firefighters responded and were able to walk the hiker and her dog out of the woods as darkness was falling.

Falmouth’s Fire/EMS Assistant Chief Jay Hallett guided the firefighters to the woman using the I Am Responding software. The Fire Department has been using the software program for several years, allowing it to track firefighters who respond to emergency calls.

Hallett credited I Am Responding with making the search and rescue mission successful. The woman was about 1.5 miles into the woods when firefighters reached her. It took the firefighters about an hour to reach the hiker and escort her to safety.

“If it took even 15 minutes longer, the walk back out of the woods would have gotten much more difficult due to darkness,” Hallett said.

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