Salem Observer : rescue

Abutters don’t want Salem animal shelter in their neighborhood

Salem Editor — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 19:14:00 GMT

Residents of Brady Avenue again challenged a plan by the Salem Animal Rescue League to construct a new animal shelter in their neighborhood.

Raising concerns over traffic, noise, animal waste and odor, potential neighbors of the 15,000-square-foot shelter lined up at the Tuesday, June 24, Planning Board meeting to express their reservations about a project that is still in the conceptual phase.

Shelter architect Steve Jensen presented figures comparing the proposed building to other large structures in the area in a defense against criticisms over the proposed size and layout of the shelter.

Terry Perrino, of 70 Brady Ave., remained unconvinced and challenged Jensen’s figures while voicing concerns that the presence of the shelter would lower the value of his property.

“I’m still opposed,” he told the board. “I still don’t think they should have an animal rescue league on Brady.”

Jensen, who has designed shelters across the country, including one in Methuen, Mass., and another in Brockton, Mass., attempted to address the issues previously raised by neighbors and abutters at the April 21 board meeting, but failed to quell concerns from residents.

Changes to the original concept made by Jensen since the April meeting included adding a row of evergreens or shrubs along the property lines, adding fence to the dog play area and using a landscape finish for the proposed retaining walls for aesthetic purposes.

According to Jensen, more work needed to be done.

“We’re going to have to rescale (the shelter),” he said. “We’ll be in front of the board again.”

David Fredrickson, of 16 Brady Ave., called for a study of the impact of new traffic and criticized SARL for not yet applying for a permit for their proposed septic system and to build a driveway on a state road.

“I’m against this. It doesn’t fit,” he said. “We’ve been a quiet neighborhood and we haven’t asked much from the town. This is something the town could do for us, to preserve the tranquility that we now possess.”

SARL has been working with the town for more than six months to locate a site on which to build a new shelter, according planning director Ross Moldoff. The location on Brady Avenue was received from a benefactor and is one of several sites explored by the animal rescue league.

According to Valorie Hayes, director of marketing and media relations for SARL, the organization is currently operating out of three modular shelters. Five or six years ago, SARL had been informed that the land they operated on would be flooded and reclaimed for wetland use by the state and town, she said. At that point, the 15-year-old organization began searching for a new location.

Hayes called the previous meeting before the board “amicable.”

“Some of the neighbors expressed concerns. Everything was very amicable.

People that know us appreciate the work that we do,” she said. “I hope we’re able to address all the concerns to our abutters. SARL has always been a good neighbor.”

Salem company aids China's earthquake victims

Salem Editor — Wed, 28 May 2008 18:20:00 GMT

BY MATT SCHOOLEY

Bill Lozon may not be pulling bodies from the wreckage from the devastating earthquake that rocked China recently, but he and his company will have a hand into the recovery efforts in the aftermath of the natural disaster.

Lozon, the vice president for sales and marketing for the Salem branch of UltraVision Security Systems Inc., flew to the Far East with his company’s Lifelocator system to train rescue workers how to best put it to use.

A sensor is placed upon piles of debris, and the system contains a sensor that can penetrate through solid materials in search of survivors, preventing rescuers from blindly searching for bodies.

“It’s the world’s best motion detector. If a trapped person can shift in some way, we see them instantaneously,” said Lozon. “As long as the person is able to breathe, we’re able to see the rise and fall of the chest cavity.”

Lozon frequently travels the world for business, as he was when the earthquake struck.

“When the earthquake hit, I was in England at a trade show and got a call within 24 to 48 hours telling us that our equipment was being used and being used successfully,” Lozon said.

When disasters such as the earthquake in China strike, Lozon assists, but without being able to do so firsthand.

“I won’t be going to China so much to assist, but to do a debriefing and where do we go from here,” he said. “I’m not going to start climbing along in collapsed buildings, but it’s to meet with the rescue workers who actually use the equipment and learn from their experiences – what worked well, and what didn’t that we could use in the future.”

UltraVision has been working with the technology for about 35 years, beginning with its parent company that used it to measure the depth of concrete. The technology is also used in forensic investigations.

According to Lozon, the company has been able to perfect the technology as well as any company using it.

“What we’ve done so dramatically and differently is that instead of looking for solid objects, we look for motion,” he said. “Because we’ve been doing it for 35 years, we’re really, really good at it. We’re just about the only ones in the world who do this right now.”

Upon arriving in Beijing and traveling to the Sichuan province to brief rescue workers, Lozon said he knows the satisfaction he and his company will have.

“I think it is very difficult to describe. It extends through everyone in our corporation,” Lozon said. “It’s the search-and-rescue side of our business that gives you the warm fuzzy satisfaction to know it saves lives. It helps victims and also rescuers safely.”

Man found after cold night in woods

Salem Editor — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 20:31:00 GMT

BY MATT HERSH

A 20-year-old Salem man who ran away from home after a verbal dispute with his parents was found unconscious nearly 15 hours later.

Police had been searching for Nigel Bridges of 124 Pelham Road after he left his house and headed into a heavily wooded area at around 1:15 a.m. on Saturday, Dec. 2.

Bridges was found by a dog rescue team about a half mile from his home.

He was brought to Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, Mass., and later transported to Beth Israel Hospital in Boston where he has been listed in serious condition, according to a press release.

When one of the K-9 teams found Bridges at 4:25 p.m., he was unresponsive and hypothermic, but he was breathing.

Lt. Kevin Jordan of the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department said Bridges wouldn’t have lasted much longer without help.

“He would not have survived the night in the condition he was in,” he said. “It’s a good thing we found him when we did.”

Jordan said Bridges must have gotten wet instantly after heading into the swampy area. He was only wearing a longsleeved shirt and jeans while temperatures hit a low of 36 degrees that night.

Police had been immediately notified by Bridges’ parents after he ran out of the home but were unable to find him.

A massive search ensued, including K-9 search dogs, a state police helicopter and a dive team from the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department who were called to investigate a pond located a few hundred yards into the wooded area.

Once the sun rose, Salem police officers and firefighters conducted line searches throughout the area and also used thermal imaging equipment, according to Salem police Deputy Chief Robert Larsen.