[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 77 (Tuesday, June 4, 2013)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E785]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]


  HONORING THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PERSONNEL OF CENTRAL MAINE REGIONAL 
COMMUNICATIONS, SOMERSET REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS CENTER AND LIFEFLIGHT 
                        OF MAINE COMMUNICATIONS

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. MICHAEL H. MICHAUD

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 4, 2013

  Mr. MICHAUD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the courageous 
acts and professionalism of dispatchers from Central Maine Regional 
Communications (CMRCC), Somerset Regional Communications Center (SRCC), 
and LifeFlight of Maine Communications in the rescue of a grievously 
injured snowmobiler. These agencies were the recipients of the Critical 
Incident of the Year Award from the Maine chapter of the National 
Emergency Numbers Association.
  On the morning of March 8, 2012, Bonnie Sancomb and several others 
embarked on a snowmobile ride in Somerset County, Maine. During the 
course of the adventure Ms. Sancomb missed a tight turn, which 
catapulted her 45 feet from the marked trail and pinned her underneath 
the 500-pound sled. All the while, the snowmobile track continued to 
turn, shredding Ms. Sancomb's clothes and eventually her skin, exposing 
her internal organs.
  About 15 minutes later, the rest of Ms. Sancomb's party realized her 
absence and backtracked to the scene of the accident. A member of the 
party dialed 911 and was received by a dispatcher at CMRCC, who 
immediately notified SRCC, mobilizing Maine Warden Service units and 
LifeFlight of Maine. Complicating the response efforts was the fact 
that the accident occurred in a remote Unorganized Territory, 13 miles 
outside of Rockwood Township. All parties remained in constant contact 
during the rescue mission, which was critically important as the 
accident's location was determined solely from the GPS coordinates of 
the caller's cell phone.
  After close to an hour of sustained communication, LifeFlight of 
Maine arrived first on the scene and began treating Ms. Sancomb, who 
only had a few minutes left to live. The truly incredible and 
coordinated communication efforts by the dispatchers and rescue workers 
from CMRCC, SRCC and LifeFlight are responsible for saving Ms. 
Sancomb's life.
  Mr. Speaker, please join me in commending Jennifer Berube, Darren 
Curtis, Joanna Kenefick, Jessica Mihalik, Susan Poulin, Shane Hunt, 
Margaret Parady, Stephen Crowe, JR Roebuck, and all other dispatchers 
and first responders involved, for their courageous and truly 
professional display of emergency communications.

                          ____________________