WELD — Brent Daugherty has several goals to improve emergency responses in Weld and around the state after his wife died from a fall while in Weld last summer.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise money for the Weld Fire Department, one of several goals Brent Daugherty of Aiken, South Carolina, is working on after his wife died from a fall while visiting Weld last summer. File photo

A Dec. 30, 2024, post on the “You Know You’re From Weld, Maine if” Facebook page shared a letter Dougherty wrote as part of a GoFundMe effort to raise money for the Weld Fire Department. The letter is also found on Weld’s website in the News section.

Dougherty noted that while not a Weld resident [he lives in Aiken, South Carolina], he has been visiting for the better part of 74 years. In-laws of Clyde Brown, his dad’s Army buddy, had a camp on Swett Brook Lane on the west side of Webb Lake which was a favorite place to go, Dougherty wrote. He first brought his wife, Caren to Swett Brook Lane in 1967, later bringing his children and grandchildren. “It was our go to place every year that we could come,” he wrote.

They were in Weld for two weeks last June. On the evening of June 18 Caren fell and struck her head on a rock. The LifeFlight of Maine helicopter couldn’t land, so she was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Farmington and flown from there to a hospital in Bangor where she died the following day.

In the letter, Dougherty said his purpose now is to improve the medical response process. He has established a GoFundMe in his wife’s memory to raise money for the Weld Fire Department. The goal is to raise $40,000, the site notes. As of Wednesday, Jan. 8, $6,000 had been donated.

The Franklin Journal spoke with Dougherty on Monday evening, Jan. 6. Part of the process for improving emergency response is to develop landing zones for LifeFlight, he said. One potential site is on the west side of Webb Lake, the other at Mt. Blue State Park headquarters on Center Hill, he noted.

A meeting is planned with Weld Fire Chief Corey Hutchinson, Gary Best [Maine State Park supervisor for the southern region], and LifeFlight to figure out the coordinates, he stated. There will be a dedication in Caren’s memory sometime in August, he said.

On Tuesday, Best told The Franklin Journal he was working closely with Dougherty, Weld Fire Department and LifeFlight of Maine to determine an appropriate landing zone, that there would be a meeting in the spring. “There’s a lot of physical characteristics of the land to make sure that it’s going to work for the helicopter pilots and the rescue teams,” he noted. “Mr. Dougherty put a lot of energy into this, and we want to also somewhere on that site, in an appropriate way, recognize both his wife, who passed away fairly recently, and his efforts as well.”

Dougherty said other landing zone sites are being looked into. “I really would like four, but I’ll take three,” he stated.

Proceeds from the GoFundMe “will purchase whatever the fire department needs,” Dougherty said. “It would help improve their capabilities to respond to an emergency. And that could include training for EMTs, and it could include supplies or whatever.” He had to set a goal for the fundraiser and chose $40,000. He is hoping to bring in at least $10,000-$15,000.

The Weld Fire Department has a small staff, the one EMT it has was not available June 18, Dougherty said. He spoke with Hutchinson about funding training for more EMTs, was told the department is mostly volunteer with other commitments and that training takes time. The department has a registered nurse, but she lacks the required training to administer aid while on calls, Dougherty said.

Later Monday, Hutchinson told The Franklin Journal, “Through the Maine EMS laws, you have to be trained. You have to have the right kind of training. Even though she’s a nurse they don’t acknowledge that, because it’s not the right type of training. You have to take a certain type of training.”

Hutchinson said he told Dougherty that it’s not just money, it’s people. “We have schedules, family life, full time jobs and such,” he shared. “You have to be able to schedule the training in and a lot of it is timing. It depends on when training is and how long it takes.”

Dougherty said he has already donated portable lights that he purchased to help with emergency situations at night.

When asked about what needs the Weld Fire Department has Hutchinson replied, “We always need more equipment, but we’re still assessing what we need. It’s the beginning of a new year so we’re making a transition from one budget season to another.”

Hutchinson also stressed that what is needed in this area, not just in Weld, are people interested in joining fire departments. “People that would be able to put the time in to take the training we need, medical personnel,” he said. “That’s a big thing. Medical personnel, people that are trained and certified to go on these calls. We can have all the equipment, money to buy equipment, but if we don’t have the people, that’s a huge thing right there.”

Anyone interested in joining the Weld Fire Department can contact the town office or email Hutchinson, firechief@weld-maine.org.

“My initial purpose was to try to help the folks of Weld and to try to improve things there,” Dougherty stated. “But then I started to think about the fact that this isn’t a unique situation in Maine. Because of the remoteness of the state, this kind of a problem exists everywhere.”

There needs to be recognition of these things across the state, and they need to be addressed, Dougherty stressed.

Dougherty is also working to develop a flyer to be posted in all camps on Webb Lake that would include information on what to do in an emergency. He is also considering providing first aid kits which could include tourniquets and other basic supplies for each camp.