WUMP in WV - Pre-conference at Escape Feb 2010

February 28th, 2010

100_1255-medium.JPG100_1203-medium.JPGInstructors Jon Lowrance and Justin Padgett took a trip to West Virginia’s, Pipestem Resort on the rim of the Bluestone River.  A beautiful spot for a WMI Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professionals WUMP…..and all the winter weather we needed to make our simulations…well, less simulated.  Folks were mostly from WV with a small contingency of students from Ohio and Pennsylvania…with backgrounds as EMT’s, PA’s, MD’s, and EMTP’s..Law enforcement, Rescue and EMS as well as the military had strong representation. We had a field trips where we were out to check out the local natural resources.  There are a couple of pictures here of those fun excursions.  The fun,experienced, well witted and attentive students made our five days at Pipestem fly by like WV blizzard.  Great times, great audience and great venue!  Thanks to all that were a part!  In closing, a few fine quotes from the class: “You never start learning!”, “Well we will not let them cut your skivvies -”What, underwear?….I don’t wear underwear - heck I just started wearing socks!”, “Buckle up and shuffle up”, “Yeah that is cool if they cut my pants off, but if they cut my tigger shorts - then it’s game on, I mean for real.”, “Always better to have and not need rather than need and not have.”

Mystery Student Sporting a Landmark Learning Patch

February 22nd, 2010

This photo was taken in Oakland, CA at the airport on 2/21/2010 randomly by the brother of one of our instructors.  Another previous student of ours told us recently that a Landmark Learning sticker was found on a water bottle someone lost on a trail up in Maine.  Looks like we are spreading out in North America!  Fun to see that stuff. photo.jpg

Spreading Calm at Balsam WUMP

January 28th, 2010

Our Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professional course students are experts at bringing calm and serenity to the accident and medical emergencies the come upon.  Through life-like scenarios our students practice patient assessment and decision making to serve their work in the real world.  Many of our students this course are fire fighters, paddling enthusiasts, cave rescue team members, researcher workers from Antarctica, summer youth program staff and park service rangers.  Medical backgrounds range from our EMT Intensive students that just completed EMT to seasoned EMT’s and Physician Assistant.  Lots of doing going on this week….isn’t that how most of learn?  Some times the mistakes we make in practice are our most significant learnings we take to our real patients.Tonight is our Mock Rescue into the late hours of the evening…weather forecast looks like 20’s and clear….bummer, I was really hoping for something a little more ARRRRRRRRRRGGH….like heavy rain just at 33F…..oh well….we’ll see, I am still hopeful that the weather will be more foul!   Sinister smiles…….dsc_0724-800x600.jpgdsc_0737-800x600.jpgdsc_0719-800x600.jpgdsc_0677-800x600.jpg

Wrapping up the EMT up at Balsam Jan 2010

January 26th, 2010

 Another successful EMT Intensive course up here at Balsam.  All 20 of our students passed their comprehensive written exam (we require a min score of 80%) and their state practical exam!  Several of our students headed back to their previous lives and spots on the globe, while the majority are staying for our Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professionals the last week of January.  Smiles and a tip of the stethoscope to you new EMT’s.  Go forth and do more for those you come across that need your help!dsc_0607-800x600.jpgdsc_0604-800x600.jpgdsc_0587-800x600.jpgdsc_0520-800x600.jpg

The Dillsboro Dam is coming out!

January 13th, 2010


Judge clears way for Dillsboro Dam removal

By Justin Goble

Duke Energy has scored yet another legal victory in its five-plus year fight with Jackson County over the Dillsboro Dam.

Superior Court Judge Zoro Guice signed orders Monday (Jan. 11) denying the county’s request for an injunction against the power company to prevent Duke from moving forward with demolition of the dam. Guice also ordered the county to immediately issue a Land Development Compliance permit to Duke, stating that the power company should not have to seek local permits for demolition operations since it is being ordered by the federal government to remove the dam.

“Jackson County is without authority to deny the permit or require (Duke) to seek any other permits affecting the Dillsboro Dam and powerhouse demolition operation, inasmuch as the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission’s orders with respect to dam and powerhouse removal were issued pursuant to the Federal Power Act,” Guice wrote.

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The Dillsboro Dam, constructed in 1927 by early industrialist C.J. Harris to power his tannery and provide lights for Dillsboro and Sylva, has been at the center of a five-plus year legal battle between Jackson County and Duke Energy. The power company seeks to remove the dam in order to preserve hydroelectric generation at its larger plants; Jackson County has fought to keep the dam both for its historical value and perceived “green energy” benefits. Superior Court Judge Zoro Guice Monday denied the county’s request for an injunction, apparently clearing the way for Duke to proceed with dam removal this month. Dam demolition is expected to begin in February. – Herald photo by Allison Brantley

Guice’s only ruling against Duke was to deny the company’s request to dismiss the case due to “lack of subject matter jurisdiction.” However, Guice ruled that Jackson County could not move forward with condemnation of Duke’s Dillsboro land to create a park until after Duke has removed the dam and powerhouse.

“Jackson County may only proceed with its condemnation action subject to the preemptive nature of the FPA and upon the completion by Duke Energy Carolinas of its obligation under the orders of FERC respecting the Dillsboro Dam, including the removal of the Dillsboro powerhouse,” Guice wrote.

Dam removal is expected to begin in February, according to Fred Alexander, Duke’s district manager for government and business relations.

Monday’s rulings stem from numerous motions Guice heard Nov. 30 regarding several lawsuits. Lawyers representing Duke and Jackson County spent five-and-a-half hours arguing multiple motions in the ongoing legal battle.

Power company lawyers asked Guice to force the county to issue permits allowing demolition of the dam to move forward. Duke also asked for dismissal of the county’s condemnation suit on the basis that only the Washington, D.C., Fourth District circuit federal court has jurisdiction in the case at this point.

The D.C. Court ruled in Duke’s favor last month and denied Jackson County’s challenge of the FERC orders stipulating dam removal.

For their part, lawyers representing Jackson County requested an injunction preventing Duke from moving forward with plans to demolish the dam until the ongoing federal case was settled.

Condemnation of Duke’s Dillsboro land, including the dam and powerhouse, has thus far proven to be a losing strategy, as Guice’s orders are just the latest in a string of rulings favoring Duke.

The D.C. Circuit Court’s Dec. 22 ruling came less than a week after federal regulators issued the final approvals necessary for Duke to begin dismantling the dam.

Dam removal is the linchpin of a cooperative agreement hashed out over three years by Duke and some 40 “stakeholders,” who met monthly during most of that time. Under that agreement, which becomes binding once Duke receives new licenses for its local power plants, the power company will pay Jackson County a lump sum of $350,000 and provide numerous recreational enhancements at its lakes and along the Tuckaseigee River. After May federal mediation talks, Jackson County officials rejected a Duke offer that would have paid the county an additional $225,000.

The Stakeholders Agreement is backed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife, the U.S. Forest Service and the N.C. Division of Water Quality, all of which are given “conditioning authority” under the Federal Power Act, which means they can stipulate conditions in power companies’ licenses.

Jackson County did not sign the Stakeholders Agreement and retained Arlington, Va., attorney Paul Nolan to oppose Duke’s plans.

Jackson County officials in the past have said that they want to keep the Dillsboro Dam in place to preserve its non-polluting “green” electric generating capacity; however, federal regulators in 2007 denied a request from Jackson County to begin producing power there after Duke surrenders the plant.

Duke, meanwhile, maintains that it made the decision to give up its Dillsboro plant in order to preserve generation at its larger, more efficient plants, such as Thorpe on the Tuckaseigee’s West Fork.

According to Alexander, relicensing regulators did not mandate minimum flows, which would require Duke to spill water into the bypassed regions of the East and West forks without first using it to generate power, because the company agreed to restore a free-flowing section of the river in Dillsboro by removing the Dillsboro Dam.

The first dam at Dillsboro was constructed by early industrialist C.J. Harris almost a century ago to provide electricity for his tannery and his home. Flooding washed away the first wooden dam, and the current concrete dam was built in 1927. Harris later formed the Dillsboro and Sylva Electric Co., which was sold in 1957 to Nantahala Power and Light Co. Duke Power acquired NP&L in 1988 but operated it as a separate entity until 2001 when NP&L became part of Duke.



WEMT Course in the Balsam Mountains

January 13th, 2010

wemt-jan-2009-pics-2-800x600.jpgwemt-jan-2009-pics-2-800x600.jpgBringing in the decade 2010 up here at the Balsam Mountain Inn where we are running our Jan WEMT course!  Who are our students this year?  Well we have a handful of smoke jumpers from Oregon, local WNC kayakers, a diver from Maine, , a lawyer from Florida, a few expired EMT’s looking to get back in the game, fire fighters, a Park Service Ranger from Carlsbad Cavern, Outward Bound professionals, and numerous Outdoor educators from all over the US.  That’s right, full course of students that are serious about EMT!  Instructors are Justin Padgett- WEMT & NREMTP, John Carrico - WEMT & NREMTP, Deane Hodde CCEMTP, and Phil Hart - WEMT &EMTB all actively involved in EMS work here in WNC.  Our standards and expectations are high in each of these courses….and these folks are taking to it all like fish in water!  Our days are huge and our fun is immense….I guess that is why Landmark Learning is well known for our EMT coursework!  We love what we do!

December WFR 2009 at the Landmark Learning Base

December 20th, 2009

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Full December WFR course here at the base….plenty of cool folks from all over came to play in the snow and bone up on some wilderness medicine skills. Full spectrum of December Appalachian weather….fall like to frigid!  A few tents collapsed with heavy snow and a vehicle or two left the road….no injuries just some good clean learnin’.  Christmas music with morning quizzes only come once a year!  Tomorrow is test day….”guess we’ll find out who has been naughty and nice”!

WMI Instructor Writes Children’s Book to Support Clean Water Resources

December 8th, 2009

I wanted to let you know I’ve written a new children’s book to share my love of kayaking with our next generation of paddlers. Kayak Anna and the Palindrome Creek by Lina Lukashevich is a splashing eco-adventure for readers ages 9 to 13. It’s a novel about a girl who cleans up the pollution of her neighborhood creek while learning about forgiveness, environmental activism and ravenous trolls.

 

 

All profits from Kayak Anna are donated to Living Water International to provide safe, clean drinking water for children around the world.

 

I’m relying on word of mouth promotion from fellow paddlers to let more families and schools know about this book.

 

Here is the link to learn more        KayakAnna.org

Using my WFR with a “Can of Calm”

December 7th, 2009

Hello, I wanted you to know that just one, of the many important things I learned in my WFR in July. Can of Calm. While traveling back to Florida from Greenville, S.C. in a heavy rain storm. I was the 2nd car to stop when I saw an SUV in the gully of a median about 30 feet below. The SUV was on it’s side and obviously had flipped about 3 times through the trees. The scene was safe. No fuel leaks or trees falling. Whooosh-out came the can of calm. Others showed up while I was introducing my self and assessing the situation. the SUV was driver side against the ground and the door were impossible to open. I talked to the sole person, a woman driving and stuck in her seat by the seat belt. Otherwise she was okay except for a scrap that had already stopped bleeding. A flight paramedic from Pensacola immediately wanted to bust out the windshield and pull the woman out into the rain.  She was stable and there was no concussion or obvious spine damage. Legs, arms and head were okay and moving without pain. But still stuck by her seatbelt. Dealing with the soggy ground and a heavy rain would be worse. She was okay talking and the adrenaline rush was easing. I talked to her husband on the phone and continued to talk with her. A doctor showed up and we had people running around the SUV while another passerby brought down a tarp to cover the vehicle. I warned the patient and pulled off the passenger window for better communication. I stayed with her until the paramedic broke out the back window and entered through the back. I could hear the sirens of the police and the rescue unit. I went to the edge of the interstate and gave the report of what I knew. They were very happy and able to relax and gather their gear before they went down to the scene.It all came from my can of calm. I am not saying the paramedic and doctor did not know what to do, but, and you know what Pee Wee Herman always said. “All my friends have such big butts”. But, they were looking around and wanting to fly into action without assessing the scene.Seriously — Thanks for my training. And I am glad I constantly look over my notes and the field guide.WFR student-John Pemberton

WUMP Oct 2009 - Taking Care of Business - Wild Style

October 29th, 2009

10 new students and 10 of our EMTs students make up this years’ October WUMP.  Fun group of people with medical backgrounds ranging from new EMT to MD.  Great group of folks with a serious yet fun loving attitude - ready to laugh and learn!dsc_0607-medium.JPG