The Buffalo News - October 17, 2009

The formation of a volunteer search and rescue team serving Western New York was announced today by Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard and state Department of Environmental Conservation rangers.

Approximately 20 volunteers on the newly formed Niagara Frontier Search & Rescue Team have been trained to help law enforcement and public safety agencies search for missing orlost persons. "The impetus in helping to form this organization began three years ago, when our office was investigating the disappearance of several people, including two elderly women from the Southtowns who were ultimately found deceased in a barn in Colden," Howard said in a prepared statement. "It was evident that we needed to draw upon a highly trained, local search and rescue team as opposed to always requesting out-of-town search and rescue personnel to assistwhen we have missing citizens."

The volunteers on the Niagara Frontier Search & Rescue Team were trained by the Erie County Sheriff's Department, the state DEC Forest Rangers, the state Federation of Search & Rescue Teams and the National Association of Search & Rescue. "Our search and rescue team has one of the best cross sections of people, including a medical doctor, a paramedic, a printer and so forth," said Ed Kasperek, a volunteer who is on the newly formed rescue team. "All of our volunteers pay for their own clothing and equipment and have easily spent a couple of thousand dollars out of their own pockets because they believe they can help make a difference." http://www.buffalonews.com/incoming/article17330.ece

 the390.com - October 9, 2010

Erie County Sheriff Tim Howard, New York State Police Captain Steven Graap; New York State Parks Police Major Scott Ritchie; Ed Suk from the
National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and Ed Kasperek from the Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue Team are announcing a major
collaborative effort involving hundreds of first responders partaking in a- first ever- child abduction response drill in the area.
“Operation- Child Abduction Response Team (CART) will be announced on Thursday, October 14, 2010 @ 10:00 AM @ Ten Delaware Avenue, Buffalo. The actual live exercise (of which the media are invited to attend) wil be over a two day period beginning on Friday night, October 15th and commencing Saturday afternoon, October 16th. More than 200 trained first responders from two states including Pennsylvania will participate in the drill in Alleghany State Park in Cattaraugus County. CART is a new approach to our area (western part of New York) involving
multiple agencies and jurisdictions. It consists of local, state and federal law enforcement agencies and private sector partners that agree
to participate. Because team organization and planning activities have occurred prior to an incident, CART can bring a tool box full of assets
ready to deploy at any location including: professional investigators; crime intelligence analysts; forensic experts; search and rescue
professionals; Leads Coordinators; family liaison, public information officer and other support personnel. Participating agencies include: Erie County Sheriff’s Office; New York State Police; New York State Parks Police; Erie County Department of Emergency Services; Cattaraugus County Office of Emergency Services; New York State DEC Forest Rangers; New York State Emergency Management Office; New York State Parks Police; Pennsylvania State Police, New York State Federation of Search and Rescue Teams; Niagara Frontier Search and Rescue Team; Pennsylvania Search and Rescue Council; Western New York Incident Management Assistance Team (IMAT) http://the390.com/feature/local-law-enforcement-agencies-announce-cart-training-exercise-in-erie-county

The Buffalo News - November 13, 2010

ALLEGANY STATE PARK — United Methodist churches in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties are sending out prayers for one of their own.
The Rev. Thomas B. Hamilton, 92, who retired 10 years ago as pastor of Great Valley United Methodist Church, has been missing since Wednesday in heavily wooded Allegany State Park.

Hamilton, who still presides over weekly Bible classes at the church, and his daughter, Rebecca Huffman, 72, visited the park Wednesday to hike the woods, and ventured onto an unmarked trail near the Summit Area. The two had recently returned from Dayton, Ohio, where Huffman lives. But they became disoriented and were forced to spend the night in the woods. On Thursday morning Hamilton became too tired to go on, so Huffman left him to seek help, according to State Park Police. By 1 p. m. Huffman had made her way out of the woods and notified park police of her father’s predicament. Police launched search efforts immediately and continued through the night and all day Friday. The search continued overnight Friday on a limited basis and resumed again at 8 a.m. today, with more than 200 searchers on hand. A call had gone out Friday for available volunteer firefighters in Cattaraugus County to join his morning's search. Seven departments from Erie County also are assisting. A fire official at the scene said 195 people were engaged in Friday’s effort, which was coordinated from a command center operated by State Park Police. Many of the participants took part in a park search-and-rescue drill about a month ago and are using that experience in an attempt find Hamilton. Frank Clark of Great Valley attends Great Valley United Methodist Church and knows Hamilton well.
“He still has a Bible study class once a week,” Clark said. “He’s been pretty active, always walking down Burleson Road,” where the missing man’s home is located. The Rev. John M. Green of East Otto assumed duties at the church in July and soon came to know Hamilton, who is a constant presence at Sunday morning services. Green was at Allegany State Park on Friday to meet with Huffman and other family members.
“She’s doing quite well and hopes to bring [her father] out soon,” Green said late Friday. Green described a chance encounter that occurred amid search activities Friday. An unidentified woman who had been hiking on another trail found a pair of moccasins and brought them to the command center, where she was introduced to Huffman. (The moccasins were later found not to be connected to the missing man).
Huffman noticed the woman was wearing a prayer shawl, which the hiker removed and placed on Huffman’s shoulders. “Rebecca then became very upbeat,” Green recalled. “We know the Lord sent her [the woman],” the pastor said. Green added that prayers are currently being offered for Hamilton’s safe return by all United Methodist churches in Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties and expects the prayer chain to grow. http://www.buffalonews.com/city/communities/southern-tier/article251557.ece