In the wake of the January death of a hiker in Ripton, a committee formed by the legislature is looking into how the state responds to search and rescue calls. The Vermont State Police have long taken the lead, but the system also involves local law enforcement, regional search and rescue squads and other state agencies.
The committee has been scrutinizing what resources the state has, how the searches are organized and who leads them. We talk with members Neil Van Dyke of Stowe Mountain Rescue and Michael Cannon of Colchester Technical Rescue about the committee’s work and ways to improve the system.
Also, VPR’s Ross Sneyd offers analysis of VPR’s debate between gubernatorial candidates Democratic incumbent Governor Peter Shumlin and Republican Randy Brock.