Backcountry Rescue Vehicle
One of the great assets of the Park City area is the numerous trails that allow those who live in, and visit, Summit County to enjoy nature. These trails have challenged Park City Fire Service District in accessing patients and those who need help. To overcome these challenges, the Fire District maintains several vehicles for back country rescue. The Pinebrook Fire Station maintains two snowmobiles during the winter and one four-wheeler during the summer. The bulk of the back country rescue gear is kept at the Holiday Ranch Loop Road Fire Station. This equipment includes two mountain bikes and an off-road vehicle called “The Ranger” (see photo, click for more).
The Ranger is a Polaris off-road vehicle with a 40 horsepower 700cc twin-injected engine. It has the ability to carry one driver, three passengers, and one patient. It has a fairly narrow wheelbase so it can be used on quite a few of the Park City area trails. It is designed for mountain travel but can be used on developed paths as well.
The Ranger carries a full compliment of medical equipment to assist patients who have respiratory, cardiac, diabetic, and allergic problems. For those suffering traumatic injuries the Ranger carries backboards, splinting material, and advanced life support gear.
Responders that use the Ranger are required to attend training sessions that deal specifically with the limitations and abilities of the vehicle, and they must be checked off on their skill sets in their use of the Ranger. Safety, as always, is our primary concern for both patients and our rescuers.
Since the time of its in-service in November 2007, the Ranger has been used many times, not only on numerous rescues in locations that would have otherwise delayed access and extrication of the patient, but as a response vehicle during events such as the Kimball Arts Festival. In an effort to maximize the use of the Ranger, it is assigned to the Lower Deer Valley Fire Station during the winter for snow removal.
