As this project develops, more information will be posted on this web page.

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2011 POLARIS 4X4 Ranger 800 XP / LE / EPS

ATR Litter Covers fit over all basket stretchers!

Off-Road Res-Q ATV & OHV Rescue News: Posted:  Monday, April 2, 2007 Cutshin, KY Fire and Rescue hauls 3 off trails during 1ST day with new ATV Rescue Trailer ! CUTSHIN VOL. FIRE & RESCUE Leslie County, Kentucky In preparation to provide Emergency Medical Services support to the upcoming "Hare Scrambles" off-road racing event on Sunday, April 1, 2007, Chief Michael Joseph knew he needed a better way to haul injured motorcycle and ATV riders off the trail.  So, on Tuesday Cutshin Fire and Rescue called ///EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT, master distributor for OFF-ROAD RES-Q TRAILERS.  Chief Joseph requested a rescue trailer be delivered in time to be placed into service prior to the event. Manufactured by Empire Welding & Fabrication Company in Cortland, New York, fortunately they had a new ATR-2 Res-Q Trailer in stock.  This life saving piece of equipment was delivered Wednesday evening.  On Thursday, volunteer members of Cutshin Fire and Rescue, familiarized themselves with the new trailer as they equipped it with the necessary medical and rescue gear needed for back country emergencies.  With several experienced ATV operators in the department, on Friday and Saturday, Cutshin's personnel practiced towing the rescue trailer with their newly acquired Suzuki 500 Vinson 4X4 ATV.  Finally, at 8:00 AM Sunday morning, 10 Cutshin Fire & Rescue members, including 9 Firefighter / EMT's staged the ATV and rescue trailer at the Kentucky Hare Scrambles Championship Series event being run on the Daniel Boone Trails in Leslie County and awaited calls for assistance. They didn't have to wait long.  At 9:30 AM, a 9 year-old took a spill on his junior-mini motocross bike and suffered a possible broken foot about a mile up the trail.  Cutshin Fire / Rescue personnel responded; arriving on scene in 5 minutes.  After stabilization and loading onto the all terrain rescue trailer, the boy was safely transported by Cutshin's ATV Rescue Team down the trail to a waiting ambulance.  A Cutshin Fire / Rescue BLS ambulance transported the boy to a local hospital for treatment as the ATV Rescue Team returned to staging. In between calls requiring ATV Rescue Team response, Cutshin EMT's provided first aid to riders suffering less severe injuries.  Several minor cuts, bruises and burns were attended to until their next dispatch at 1:30 PM.  Cutshin Fire and Rescue personnel received a report of a 37 year-old woman who went off the trail on a 250cc racing motorcycle, hit a tree and continued over an embankment, ending up over 70 feet below in a creek bed.  The accident scene was 5 miles out from the staging area and the victim was reported to be lying in the creek complaining of an injury to her knee.  Cutshin's ATV Rescue Team responded, and arrived within 20 minutes of dispatch.  By utilizing a steep narrow side path, they were able to get the 4X4 ATV and rescue trailer to within 70 feet of the victim.  Once on scene, the basket stretcher was removed from the off-road trailer and carried over the embankment to the victim.  After packaging, additional Cutshin rescuers carried the victim up the embankment and loaded the patient onto the rescue trailer for transport back to the ambulance staging area.  The difficult 5 mile return trip took under 40 minutes, which included a brief period of pushing the ATV and rescue trailer up a particularly steep and muddy stretch of the trail.  Back at staging, a Cutshin Fire and Rescue BLS ambulance transported the woman to a local hospital for treatment.  The total run time took slightly less than one hour.  Afterwards, Mr. Deron Rambo, a Paramedic responsible for overseeing emergency services during all Kentucky Hare Scrambles Championship Series events stated: "This rescue would have taken 4 to 5 hours had it not been for the speed and agility of Cutshin FD's ATV Rescue Team and Off-Road Res-Q Trailer." The final haul out of the day was a 47 year-old man who suffered a leg injury after losing control of his racing ATV on the trail.  While he refused transportation to a hospital for his injuries by Cutshin's ambulance, he accepted a ride to his pick up truck in their new all terrain rescue trailer.  Cutshin's ATV rescue personnel transported him approximately one quarter mile off the trail and into the parking area to his vehicle.  It's believed he drove himself to the hospital from there. In the words of Chief Joseph: "After our experience with the Off-Road Res-Q Trailer during this first day of ATV rescue operations, I would encourage any department with the need to perform remote area rescues to do what you have to purchase this equipment.  We called the Off-Road Res-Q dealer on a Tuesday, took delivery of the trailer on Wednesday, equipped it on Thursday, trained with it on Friday and Saturday, and used it 3 times on Sunday .  Our county is similar to other rural areas where riding and racing ATV's and MotoCross bikes is very popular.  As such, the 4X4 ATV and Off-Road Res-Q Trailer have become vital additions to our remote area rescue capabilities." If any department needs additional information about our ATV Rescue Team, please Call: Chief Mike Joseph 606-279-6453, Cutshin Vol. Fire And Rescue, PO Box 2, Yeaddiss, KY 41777, or Email: cutshinfiredept668@yahoo.com. * * *	Off-Road Res-Q ATV & OHV Rescue News: Posted:  JULY 26, 2008  LINCOLN COUNTY EMS responds to a ATV accident and transports 2 patients on same rig! RUIDOSO, NEW MEXICO Monday, July 21, 2008 "Riding double, unauthorized trail, no safety gear, speed and inexperience sends 4 riders to hospital -- 1 to intensive care!" Around 2:00 PM Monday afternoon, four area women were riding two sport style ATVs on an unauthorized trail located within the boundaries of a section of the Lincoln National Forest outside Ruidoso, NM.  At a particularly steep and rocky point on the trail above Rainbow Lake and Carrizo Canyon, the lead ATV hit a large rock.  The impact turned the handle bars sharply as the driver applied the front brake, causing the ATV to flip, throwing both driver and passenger from the single seat off-road vehicle.  Upon seeing the first accident, the second ATV operator hit the brakes and also flipped her single seat machine, throwing her and the passenger, as the ATV continued down the hill.  Reports indicate that none of the four women were observed to be wearing helmets, or any other form of protective gear, at the time of the incident.  While all four women received varying degrees of injury, the driver of the lead ATV appeared to suffer the most serious, suffering apparent neck and back injuries. The women used a cellphone to call 911 and New Mexico State Police dispatchers were able to pinpoint their location using the GPS system.  Two NM State Police Officers, Lincoln County EMS, Ruidoso Fire Department and the US Forest Service responded.  Additionally, LCEMS responded with their Wilderness Rescue Unit and "Wilderness-1."  However, before emergency response teams could arrive, the woman with the neck and back injuries was assisted on to a damaged but still operable ATV, and then transported two miles down the hill to the trail access point where she was met by LCEMS ambulance personnel. EDITOR'S NOTE:  "Unless you are trained and properly equipped to do so, NEVER unnecessarily move a person with suspected neck and back injuries!"  Serious additional injury, total paralysis and or DEATH can and do occur. Upon arrival of State Police, two officers walked an estimated 2 miles up the trail to reach the remaining injured women.  At the same time, LCEMS ambulance personnel packaged the most seriously injured woman for transport by MEDEVAC helicopter to a trauma center in El Paso, Texas where she remains in an intensive care unit.  As this was going on, additional rescuers from LCEMS were preparing 'Wilderness-1' to assist with removal of the remaining patients. LCEMS 'Wilderness-1' is a radio dispatched, specially equipped, Polaris 800cc X2 (2-seat) All Terrain Vehicle which tows an Off-Road Res-Q Trailer, known as an 'ATR'.  The 'ATR' is outfitted with a basket stretcher for safe patient transportation from off-road accident sites.  Additionally, Wilderness-1's 'ATR' is equipped with a rear attendant's seat for constant monitoring of patients while in transit.  During winter weather emergency operations, 'Wilderness-1' is outfitted with a "tracked" drive system, similar to a military tank.  Also, the 'ATR' off-road rescue trailer converts from ATV wheels to snowmobile skis when required to "Go in the Snow!" Upon their arrival at the ATV accident scene, LCEMS 'Wilderness-1' personnel, Mike Coker, EMT-I, and Cory Meyers, EMT-P, found that one patient was suffering from a shoulder injury, while the other had only facial abrasions.  Coker and Meyers packaged the more seriously injured patient and loaded her onto the ATR's stretcher, while the less seriously injured women was assisted on to the passenger seat of the Polaris X2.  With Paramedic Meyers attending to the patient, EMT Coker assumed the controls of the ATV, and the four proceeded safely down the trail.  Two miles later, both patients were delivered to a waiting LCEMS ambulance staged at the trail access.  Both women were transported by ground ambulance to a local hospital for treatment of their injuries. According to Mike Coker, Operations Supervisor for LCEMS, the 2 patient "haul out" took approximately 20 to 25 minutes to perform with 'Wilderness-1' and the 'ATR'.  Coker added:  "Without 'Wilderness-1' and the 'ATR' it would have required at least 6 rescue personnel per patient, and about 2 hours each, to carry the victims off this trail."  LCEMS placed 'Wilderness-1' and the 'ATR' in service about 16 months ago.  Since that time, it has been dispatched to three off-road incidents and several "stand-by" details at special events around Lincoln County.  However, this is the first mission requiring a patient transport; and they did a double with it. Congratulations to "Wilderness-1" Lincoln County EMS based in Ruidoso, New Mexico! * * *
Photo courtesy of The Kentucky Dept. of Agriculture's Farm & Home Safety Program Off-Road Res-Q ATV & OHV Rescue News: Posted:  JUNE 1, 2007  ATV DEATHS ON RISE IN KENTUCKY "STATE IS # 1 IN FATAL ATV WRECKS!" So far in 2007, 17 people have died in ATV wrecks across Kentucky, nearly three times the number reported by the end of May 2006.  Kentucky had 21 ATV-related fatalities in both 2005 and 2006, according to Kentucky State Police.  This, despite stricter laws and calls for safer riding, deaths from ATV accidents are on the rise in here, the nation's leader in fatal ATV wrecks. "We understand ATV riding is very popular in Kentucky," said Scott Wolfson, spokesman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission.  "But we're very concerned about the recent upward trend in deaths." After Kentucky, West Virginia and Pennsylvania are next on the commission's ranking of states with ATV-related deaths, according to the agency's 2002-2005 estimates, the most recent available.  Thirteen Southern states -- from West Virginia to Louisiana -- make up 40 percent of all ATV fatalities nationally. Wolfson said 3 ATV fatalities were reported to KSP over the Memorial Day weekend, including the death of a 5-year-old girl riding a 4-wheeler with her mother.  Neither was wearing a helmet, despite a law passed last year requiring riders 16 and younger to wear protective head gear.  This year, 2 other children -- a 14-year-old and a 16-year-old -- have also been killed in ATV crashes.  The 16-year-old was wearing a helmet. Melinda Mast, executive director of Brain Injury Association of Kentucky, said the state helmet law has "a very narrow focus as it only targets kids 16 and under."  Lawmakers decided that regulating adult riders would be impractical.  Getting safety regulations through the legislature is difficult, said Sen. Julie Denton, R-Louisville, who pushed for the ATV helmet law last year.  "You have to pull teeth to get those things regulated!" Meanwhile, CPSC and industry officials are encouraging riders to get ATV training.  This month, officials from the ATV Safety Institute, are holding training sessions at Land Between The Lakes National Recreation Area in Western Kentucky.  "I don't think a lot of people have an inherent sense of safety," Mast said.  "However, education is the best way to get safe." Sgt. Tennill, a KSP spokesman, said:  "It's hard to really draw conclusions on why they're happening other than the reckless operation of ATVs themselves.   People are operating ATVs beyond their capability." No training or licensing is required to ride ATVs.  Kentucky's law stipulates fines of $20 to $50 when children are caught riding without helmets, but law-enforcement officers say the law is more about safety than punishment.  State police have said officers would take action only against violators on public roadways and on Kentucky's publicly maintained off-road vehicle trails. * * * For more information on ATV safety visit: http://www.atvsafety.org/  * * * For more Kentucky statistics visit: www.atvsafety.gov/state/kentucky.html * * *	When Off Road Rescue Turns Into Recovery... POSTED:  JUNE 29, 2008 CHAVIES, KY As most readers on this website already know, when all the evidence points to the improbability of the continued survival of the subject of a search or rescue, we in the business of "emergency response" are faced with the complex decision of changing the status of a mission from a "rescue" to a "recovery."  It's at this critical moment when the Incident Commander decides to change the focus of the mission from "saving a life" to "providing closure for family and friends of the presumed deceased," while limiting additional risk to rescue personnel in the process.   Anyone who has made this decision, has done so only after careful consideration, usually over an extended period of time.  If we perform this act professionally, with dignity and respect for the victim's body, and consideration for the safety of all involved, the emotional impact on family and friends is reduced.  Sometimes, that's the best we can hope for.  This article tells of a rescue mission that changed to a recovery in an instant; but with the added complexity of having family members already on scene. At 22:55 hours on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, the Grapevine - Chavies VFD received a dispatch from Perry County, Kentucky E911 Center.  The dispatch stated:  "A 911 caller was reporting a man who had been 'ginsenging' on a mountainside north of Chavies was now trapped, and they needed a basket stretcher to get him out."  Upon arrival at the scene as it was dispatched, assistant chief Ben Stidham, a FF/EMT, was told the patient was 200 to 300 feet over the embankment where a man with a flashlight was signaling them.  Given this information, Stidham proceeded down the embankment until he reached the man with the flashlight.  At this point, Stidham was informed that the victim was another 500 feet down the mountain with his brothers at his side.  After assessing the terrain, it was determined there was no established trail down to the position of the victim; in reality, it was a cliff.  So, Stidham carefully proceeded ahead of other rescuers until he made contact with the patient's brothers.  It was at this point that Stidham was informed by the victim's brothers that he (the victim) was, in fact, deceased.  The brothers reported the last communication with the victim had been over 12 hours earlier.  At 9 PM, about dark, the family began to look for him.  Upon locating the victim almost 2 hours later, one of the family called the 911 center and requested assistance.  However, because of the separation between the on-scene family members and the 911 caller, the patient's condition was not accurately conveyed to the dispatcher. Now past midnight, and finally on the scene, Stidham changed the status of this mission from a "rescue" to a "recovery."  He directed his personnel to reposition to an old washed out coal road about 1000 feet below their present location.  Once the road was located, a command post was established at the point where the road became impassable by conventional 4X4 vehicles.  The Grapevine - Chavies VFD transported their Yamaha Rhino 4X4 "Side-bySide" off-road vehicle and "Off-Road Res-Q Trailer" to the combined CP and staging area, just inside Breathitt County, Kentucky.  Three hours later, with assistance from the Pine Branch Coal Company, and members of the victim's family, the deceased was brought out and delivered to the Breathitt County Coroner where he was officially pronounced dead. It was later determined that this recovery required a combined round trip of 16 miles traveled over a washed out coal road and a steep mountainside, almost impassable by off-road vehicles.  What could have taken +16 hours was achieved in just under 3 hours with the right equipment.  In the words of an on-scene paramedic, "It (the Yamaha Rhino and Off-Road Res-Q Trailer) was the only way to get it done!" * * *
Off-Road Res-Q ATV & OHV Rescue News: POSTED:  APRIL 12, 2008 GRAPEVINE - CHAVIES VFD'S "ATV RESCUE TEAM" PERFORMS 1ST OFF ROAD RESCUE ONE WEEK AFTER RECEIVING EQUIPMENT -- ON ONE OF THEIR OWN! PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY On Saturday, April 5, 2008, members of the Grapevine - Chavies Volunteer Fire Department's new "ATV Rescue Team" took delivery of an Off-Road Res-Q Trailer from ///EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT at the Knott County ATV Safety Training Center.  Built by the Empire Welding & Fabricating Co. of Cortland, New York, the purchase of this life saving equipment was funded by YAMAHA Motor Corporation, USA.  The day before, their local Yamaha dealer, 'Andy's Cycles' of Hazard, Kentucky, arranged to provide the new ATV Team with a Yamaha 450 Rhino "Side-By-Side" as a tow vehicle for their new rescue trailer. Thursday, April 10, 2008, Mike Brady from ///EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT conducted an ATV Rescue Trailer "Orientation Session" at their fire station in Chavies, KY.  One of the members present for the training was Captain Eric Pratt.  Pratt, a volunteer firefighter for Grapevine - Chavies VFD, is also a lineman for the Elliott Power Company in Perry County, Kentucky.  During the orientation session, Brady emphasized the need for ALL the rescue team's off-road vehicle operators to experience what it's like to be a patient being hauled out on an Off-Road Res-Q Trailer.  So, Pratt (all 6'-4" / 375 lbs.) laid himself in the basket stretcher and was "taken for a ride" on the new off-road patient transportation device. Now, fast-forward just two days later, when an adjoining agency,  the Jake's Branch VFD, receives a call for help from power company workers in the area.  The dispatch: "A power pole has fallen and a lineman has been seriously injured on the mountainside above Lost Creek" was heard throughout the county.  Also hearing the dispatch, and knowing the terrain, Assistant Chief Ben Stidham of Grapevine - Chavies VFD offers the services of their new "Off-Road Rescue" equipment to Jake's Branch VFD, and the offer is accepted.  After a lengthy "technical / rope rescue operation" conducted jointly by members of Jake's Branch VFD, Lost Creek VFD and GCVFD, the patient was delivered to the ATV Rescue Team from Grapevine - Chavies.  With no roads in or out of the area, and only a rugged narrow path cut by power company workers, the nearest landing zone was still almost a mile away.  So, the Grapevine - Chavies ATV Rescue Team picked up a Paramedic from the waiting  Perry County Ambulance Service and safely transported the injured worker over rough terrain to a waiting "Wings Air Rescue" helicopter in less than 20 minutes!  At the LZ, patient care was transferred to the helicopter crew and he was flown to a trauma center in Tennessee for treatment. What made this first run more unique was it involved one of their own!  Yes, Captain Eric Pratt, of Grapevine - Chavies VFD,  was the lineman injured when a power pole fell on him while working to restore electricity to Perry County residents on a steep mountainside above Lost Creek, Kentucky.  So, when rescuers unfamiliar with the equipment quietly expressed concerns over the stability of the Off-Road Res-Q, Pratt and the Grapevine-Chavies ATV Rescue Team crew relied on their training, and safely delivered the injured worker, and fellow firefighter, to the WINGS MEDEVAC helicopter LZ. PERRY COUNTY, KENTUCKY To order an 'ATR' for your ATV Team Call:  859-359-4502 * * *	Off-Road Res-Q ATV & OHV Rescue News: Posted:  March 22, 2008 TYLER MOUNTAIN VFD "ATV RESCUE TEAM" TRAINS WITH NEW "Off-Road Res-Q Trailer" CROSS LANES, WEST VIRGINIA Rescuers in Kanawha County, West Virginia, now have a better way to transport sick or injured persons out of the woods or off the trails.  A new "Off-Road Res-Q Trailer" has been acquired by the "ATV Rescue Team" at Tyler Mountain Volunteer Fire Department in Cross Lanes, WV.  Now, ATV Rescue Team members can safely transport patients from remote off-road rescue scenes to a waiting ambulance, or medical evacuation helicopter, without the need for 8 to 12 men and women to carry 1 person in a litter, or on a backboard.  In stead, a 4-wheel drive all terrain vehicle (ATV or UTV) will pull the rescue trailer to a scene, where as few as 3 rescuers (the average ambulance crew) can load and transport the patient, while providing emergency medical care throughout the run. Purchased with donations from the community, the new all terrain rescue trailer (ATR) was ordered with several additional options and accessories to assist EMTs and Paramedics as they render aid to the victim.  Options, like the attendant's seat and a medical / defibrillator tray, plus a sealed battery powered LED patient light will make patient care easier and more efficient.  Also, a new basket stretcher (a Stoke's type litter) with a "1,200 pound capacity" was ordered to be used with the ATV rescue trailer.  This high visability yellow Junkin Safety basket stretcher has a double fully welded stainless steel frame which, if needed, can be equipped with a bridle sling and hoisted by a technical or rope rescue team, or a rescue helicopter. Delivery of the Off-Road Res-Q Trailer included a 3 hour "Orientation Session" conducted at the Poca Hunting & Fishing Club by representatives of ///EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT, master distributor of Off-Road Res-Q Trailers.  Staff members at this private club remarked "This is certainly a lot better than how we have been doing it over the years.  I bet we've carried a dozen out on foot since I've been here."  TMVFD Lt. James Hill, the ATV Rescue Team leader followed that statement with "We've had 12 calls over the last two-and-a half years in our response area where we could have used this!" While there are a few other departments in West Virginia using off-road trailers for rescue, Tyler Mountain's new Off-Road Res-Q Trailer is the first of its' kind in the Mountaineer state.  Most of the other ATV rescue trailers in use are homemade designs, or modified small utility trailers.  However, the ATR in service at Tyler Mountain was designed and built from the ground up for one purpose: "The safe and efficient transportation of sick or injured persons from off-road locations to a waiting ambulance or medical helicopter." The members at Tyler Mountain Fire & Rescue are using their 'All Terrain Res-Q' trailer for just that purpose.   TYLER MOUNTAIN, WEST VIRGINIA For more information on 'ATRs' or to obtain a quote...  Email us at:  EEResQ@cs.com * * *
Off-Road Res-Q ATV & OHV Rescue News: Posted:  MAY 26, 2007 Manchester, KY FD "ATV Rescue Team" gets 1st SAVE with Off-Road Res-Q Trailer! MANCHESTER VOL. FIRE & RESCUE Clay County and Leslie County, Kentucky Thursday, May 24, into Friday, May 25, 2007 A little thing like advanced diabetes wasn't going to keep this 69 year-old avid ATV rider from enjoying a perfect spring day on the REDBIRD CREST TRAIL that begins in Clay County, and continues into Leslie County, Kentucky.  Having set out at 10:00 AM that day, his family reported him "over due" at 5:30 PM; and for good reasons.  Upon receiving a "missing report," the Clay County EMA Director activated a well rehearsed plan that sent "hasty teams" toward the last know point of contact with the rider.  From there, teams began their search under the direction of the Clay County SAR Coordinator, who also happens to be a local Redbird, Kentucky area resident. Not knowing how far the elderly rider planed to travel on the trail that day, the hasty teams continued their search until a decision was made to call them in around 1:30 AM, Friday morning.  As one of the teams was returning, a Clay County Sheriff's Deputy on an ATV, heard a faint call for help.  On a side trail, over one-half mile off the 4X4 logging trail that comprises a large portion of the REDBIRD CREST TRAIL, the rescuer found this 69 year-old rider near the bottom of a ravine, pinned under his overturned ATV, over 4 and one-half miles away from the nearest ambulance access. Upon location of the missing rider, the Manchester Fire Department's ATV Rescue Team, a Polaris 700cc ATV equipped with a new ATR, Off- Road Res-Q Trailer, disembarked from the staging area in the direction of the ATV accident scene.  On board the rescue trailer was a certified Paramedic and a supply of "Advanced Life Support" equipment.  In effect, "a trained paramedic and ALS system was transported to the patient" 4-1/2 miles out on an ATV trail at 1:30 AM in the morning. Once on scene, the 69 year-old man was found to be in remarkably good condition; considering this person requires 3 daily injections and a consistent diet to remain healthy.   However, after several hours of being pinned under an overturned ATV, with no food, no water or medications, a few hours more and this story would not have a happy ending. Taking the terrain, trail conditions and medical needs of the man into consideration, a decision was made to haul the patient out on the Off-Road Res-Q Trailer.  However, for added safety, a second 700cc ATV was positioned in front of the tow vehicle, and tethered to the primary tow vehicle.  In effect, "a two ATV tether operation" was performed.  During the ascent back up the narrow side trail, the wisdom of this decision proved itself when, in the dark, the rescue trailer slipped into the same +20 inch tire rut that caused the overturn of the victim's ATV on the previous afternoon. The multipoint suspension of the Off-Road Res-Q Trailer worked and the trailer remained upright.  However, the left trailer tire (on the down hill side), sustained significant lateral loading (estimated at over 660 LB's) and lost air pressure during the event.  Upon further evaluation of the situation, the decision was made to continue the two ATV tethered pull, with the flat tire, until the rescue team reached the 4X4 logging trail 1/2 mile later.  Once there, the patient was transferred to a Sheriff's Department 4X4 vehicle for the remaining 4 mile ride to a waiting ambulance. In the words of Clay County's EMA Director:  "As narrow and rugged as the side trail was, the only other way the man was going to be hauled out of this location was by a bull dozer, the next morning.  The trailer did its' job!" For more information on 'ATRs'  Email us at:  EEResQ@cs.com * * * Sandy Hook, CT "Forest Rescue Unit 446"	Off-Road Rescue ATV & OHV Rescue News: POSTED:  November 30, 2008 "Adventure Tourism" and "All Terrain ResQ" Work Together at Kentucky Charity Trail Ride, with Live Country Music Concert by H2H! CROCKETTSVILLE, KENTUCKY  At 7:00 AM on a late fall Sunday morning in Southeast Kentucky, twelve members of the Grapevine - Chavies Volunteer Fire Department's "ATV / Off-Road ResQ Team" assembled at a site in south Breathitt County near the community of Crockettsville.  Members brought with them several 4X4 all terrain vehicles, and other specialized equipment, needed to provide off-road rescue services to participants at what was planned to be: "An attempt to set a 'World's Record' for the longest ATV line!" Following registration and the ATV parade, all participants enjoyed the opening of Kentucky's latest addition to 'Adventure Tourism' -- the new "Buckhorn Trailhead."  Leading to the East Kentucky Trail System, this recently completed 28 mile segment consist of off-road trails which run near the Perry and Breathitt County lines.  Eventually, it will be part of a trail network covering five Southeastern Kentucky counties.  This was the first major event for GCVFD's new 4X4 YAMAHA Rhino 450 side-by-side and an 'All Terrain ResQ Trailer' acquired earlier this year through a $10,000 grant from the YAMAHA Motor Corporation USA and Andy's Cycles of Hazard, Kentucky. With several hundred off-road vehicles participating, and potentially over 1,000 riders on the trail, GCVFD's 'ATV / Off-Road Rescue Team' was on standby for emergency response should participants require medical assistance during the trail ride.  Also on hand was a 2008 "MERV" 4X4 Mini-Emergency Response Vehicle, set up for 'Advanced Life Support' on the trail, plus a second ATV and 'All Terrain ResQ Trailer' with stretcher, both provided by ///EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT of Independence, Kentucky. In all, the Grapevine -- Chavies VFD's new 'ATV / Off-Road Rescue Team' deployed four YAMAHA Rhinos and two 'All Terrain ResQ Trailers' plus a "MERV" staffed with a Paramedic and EMT, for service during this event.  None of this would have been possible without the assistance of the YAMAHA Motor Corporation USA, Andy's Cycles of Hazard, KY, and ///EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT of Independence, Kentucky. This event was a joint effort by the country music artist "Halfway 2 Hazard" and the Tourism Commissions of Pery and Breathitt Counties.  Riders were expected from all over the region, as well as from several adjoining states.  At registration, it was found that one couple traveled from Ontario, Canada, to participate.  The ride stared at 10:15 AM and concluded at 3:00 PM, but the family orientated fun didn't stop there. At 5:00 PM, a live charity concert featuring country music artist "Halfway 2 Hazard" and 'special guest' began.  Proceeds from this live concert, and silent auction associated with this event, will benefit the nearby Buckhorn Children's Center.  With the generosity of thousands and hundreds of volunteers, the event raised $100,000 in support of the programs for troubled children provided by the center. During a break in the music, Kentucky's Lt. Governor Daniel Mongiardo addressed the crowd.  He applauded the charity trail ride and concert as an excellent example of how the advent of 'Adventure Tourism' will bring greater prosperity to this historically depressed region of Southeast Kentucky. For more information on next year's Halfway 2 Hazard Charity Trail Ride and Country Music Concert call visit:  http://hazardperrytourism.com/ . For more about our support of this event call: 859-359-4502 * * * 'All Terrain Rescue Trailers' result in safer recoveries...
Off-Road Rescue ATV & OHV News: Posted:   March 24, 2008 Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire and Rescue Company Uses UTV & Trailer to Rescue Injured Woman SANDY HOOK, CT A midmorning, late winter walk with her two dogs ended in a dangerous fall for an unidentified Sandy Hook, Connecticut resident.  Rescuers from the "Sandy Hook Volunteer Fire & Rescue Company" responded and found the injured woman at the bottom of an extremely steep and muddy embankment adjacent to Gelding Hill Road.  The woman is believed to have been down for almost an hour in the cold air and mud before a neighbor heard calls for help.  Cold, but conscious and alert, upon arrival Sandy Hook First Responders discovered the victim was suffering from an ankle injury sustained during the fall. A few moments later, Sandy Hook's Fire Chief, Bill Halstead, immediately called for "Forest Rescue Unit 446" -- a 2006 Ingersol Rand - Club Car XRT off-road 4X4 rescue vehicle equipped with an All Terrain Res-Q Trailer. Unit 446 is a diesel powered off-road utility vehicle equipped with a 2500 pound winch and the All Terrain Rescue patient transport trailer. This scene was perfectly suited for the specialized off-road rescue equipment. Before the operation was complete, Sandy Hook's members would learn just how well suited! Assisted by personnel from the Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps, the injured woman received 'professional emergency medical care' at the scene. Once packaged in a litter and secured safely on the All Terrain Res-Q Trailer, the patient was monitored by Sandy Hook VFC's EMS personnel riding with her all the way to the top of the hill on the rescue trailer's medical attendant's seat. As wet slippery mud covered frozen ground, rescuers described conditions as "extreme." As such, the conditions required some creative thinking. So, the winch cable from Forest Rescue 446 was deployed and secured to a tree at the top of the steep hill. Remaining along side the off-road utility vehicle, Sandy Hook Volunteers combined the power of the Club Car's 719cc diesel engine with its 2500 pound winch and All Terrain Res-Q Trailer, to safely haul the injured woman up the hill to a waiting Newtown Ambulance. In the words of Karin Halstead, Sandy Hook VFC's EMS Captain: "I really can't give an amount of time it would've taken without the UTV and rescue trailer. But, it would have been a lot longer because the ground was very slippery. Also, there would've been a greater chance for a rescuer to be injured, or the patient to be hurt if one of us fell during the carry out." * * * NOTICE: All images, photographs, and logos on this website are the property of ///EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT, Empire Welding & Fabricating Co., Inc., Paratech Inc., Res Q Tec, Inc., Turtle Plastics, Inc., Rescue U, or 1ST Attack Engineering.  Reprint of these images, photos or logos is expressly forbidden without written authorization from the owners of the respective image, photograph or logo. * * * For more information please call:  859-359-4502 All Terrain Res-Q Trailers are protected under US PATENT # 7131666	Off-Road Rescue ATV & OHV News: Posted:  October 30, 2008 Cutshin's "ALL Terrain Rescue Team" Dispatched to Assist Coroner at Difficult Nighttime Recovery. Leslie County, Kentucky Most rescuers are pre-programed to save lives whenever called upon to do so.  However, at times we are asked to perform our services with no hope of saving a life.  Rather, we are asked to effect a recovery; a "body removal."  As rescuers, we then switch gears and consider the service we are performing is not for the benefit of the deceased, but for the 'peace of mind' of surviving family members.  This article is about one such recovery in a small Eastern Kentucky community outside of Hyden known as Hurricane. On Tuesday evening, October 28, 2008, Leslie County Sheriff's Deputies were dispatched to a residence on Wendover - Hurricane Creek Road.  It was reported that a family member had found their father on the ground some distance back in the woods.  Upon the deputy's arrival, obvious signs of death were present, so the Leslie County Coroner was dispatched to the scene.  Familiar with the rugged terrain of the area, the dispatcher suggested that Cutshin Fire & Rescue's "ATV Rescue Team" be toned out as well.  Knowing the off-road patient transport capabilities of Cutshin's team, the Coroner agreed.  Also dispatched was the Thousand Sticks VFD with their ARGO 8X8 off-road / amphibious vehicle.  The ARGO can seat up to 6 personnel and carry 1000 pounds of equipment on land.  As such, this vehicle was used to transport additional personnel and gear to the scene. Upon arrival at the residence, Chief Michael Joseph, Cutshin Fire & Rescue, was advised of a male, 52 years of age, that had been found on the ground at the base of a tree, under a deer stand.  The scene was approximately 1-1/2 miles up a rough cut trail that snaked it's way up the mountainside from behind the residence.  Chief Joseph checked topographical maps of the area and noted the elevation at the residence was about 1000 feet.  Also, Joseph observed that the trail switched back and forth for over a mile before reaching the scene which was near the 1600 foot elevation contour.  After briefing his team, a Yamaha Rhino with rope rescue equipment and Cutshin's 4X4 Suzuki 500 ATV with an "All Terrain ResQ" patient transport trailer started up the trail.  Arriving on scene at 8:30 PM, the "ATV ResQ Team" waited for the Sheriff's department and Coroner to complete their on-site investigation.  By 9:15 PM, the body had been packaged into a basket stretcher and securely loaded onto the patient transport trailer for the trip down the mountainside. At 9:35 PM, Cutshin's "ATV ResQ Team" safely delivered the deceased to a waiting hearse.  The 1-1/2 mile long, 600 foot decent, over a rough cut trail took just 20 minutes to perform.  Both Sheriff's Deputies and the Coroner remarked how in the past, recovery missions like this took over 3 hours and involved 8 to 12 additional personnel just to perform the carry out operation. In the words of the County Coroner: "Cutshin's ATV ResQ Team did one heck of a job!" For more information on 'ATRs'  Email us at:  EEResQ@cs.com

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