On November 18, 2013 the Upton Fire Department had the opportunity to train in the Upton State Forest using a new mapping system created by Nipmuc Regional High School Senior, Connor Shults. The mapping system is a detailed layout of the forest, including trails, topography, and aerial views providing the fire department with the knowledge of which trails are passable by foot, off-road vehicle, or truck. The maps clearly mark and name all the paths in the forest so the department can easily communicate where they are with each other.
Connor started working on the forest mapping system about two years ago as part of his requirement to become an Eagle Scout. The mapping system includes laminated maps of all the trails, online maps, and a smart phone/ipad app.
The drill the Fire – EMS Department performed in the Upton State forest was for a missing/lost person. Using the laminated physical maps, the app, and the online resources developed by Connor the Upton Fire Department was able to locate the “missing” person.
“In years past it was common for our staff to be in the Forest responding to incidents such as brush or car fires. Most of our members knew the Forest very well years ago but not as many do today. We didn’t know the status of the trails and if they were passable for walking, for our ATV or for our trucks in the event of an emergency. Connor’s Eagle Scout project resolved that for us. He knows the State Forest and he is also a Fire Explorer with the Department so he is already familiar with our apparatus. He was able to apply that knowledge when he inspected, did some minor trail clearing and mapped out the trails so that we would know if we could drive a big truck, a small truck, an ATV or if we could only access a trail on foot. He then provided us with hard copy, color coded maps that we can carry in the trucks. The drill allowed us to test the maps first hand. The mapping program that is available on I phones and computers allows us to track our progress along a trail or assist a disoriented hiker. With technology, Connor’s project which started as mapping and identification of trails and access for the Department turned into an electronic software tool that will also help us and help others in the State Forest . He worked hard on his project and the results speak for themselves. We are all very proud of his accomplishments and we wish him well on his goal of becoming an Eagle Scout, ” Fire-EMS Chief Goodale wrote in an email.
Connor Shults is a senior at Nipmuc Regional High School, an Explorer with the Upton Fire Department Post 2036, and a pending Eagle Scout with Upton’s Troop 132.
UPTON DAILY 
Thanks for your hard work on this Connor. Your project is a wonderful service to our community and we appreciate your time and effort.
This is awesome! Good work, Connor!