Developing UTV Specs Requires Knowledge

By Kimball Johnson

In recent years, the big brother of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), known as UTVs, which is short for utility vehicles, have seen a rapid rise in use by emergency services organizations across the country.

Wide Variety Of Uses

Fire, police and emergency medical service (EMS) officials are now recognizing a wide variety of uses and applications for these UTV vehicles including wildland firefighting, emergency medical evacuation from remote locations, police search and rescue operations, crowd control, and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) urban interface just to name a few.

I get calls daily from chief officers and administrators from across the country inquiring about the suitability of one type of make and model UTV over another.

The ones who haven’t purchased a UTV yet are in luck. Those who have already purchased a UTV with the mistaken notion that the particular make/model they purchased will be adequate for the needs of the emergency services they lead are sometimes in trouble.

Not All UTVs Are Equal

There are many UTV makes and models to choose from on the market today. Some are much better suited for emergency services work than others. Some UTVs have no business being used by these fire and rescue department at all for emergency services work.

The Polaris Ranger 6x6 and 4x4, Kubota RTV 900, Kawasaki Mule 3010, John Deere Gator 6x6 and 4x4, Cub Cadet Big Country, the Buffalo 6x6 and the Argo amphibious are all units that are very popular and seem to be the best suited for emergency services work.

 

There are many other makes and models that deserve tighter scrutiny to insure they will be useful for the mission they will be expected to fulfill.

Emergency services organizations need to put just as much time, effort, thought and due diligence into the purchase of their UTV as they would for their next ambulance or fire truck.

First, we need to outline mission objectives, types of typography/geography in the main response area. It should be noted if they will be used in hilly, steep areas or swampy, moist environments. Departments ultimately need to determine the primary mission of the UTV – whether it is for medical transport, wildland firefighting or a combination of the two.

Not all UTVs are created equal. Fire departments need to carefully match the unit’s mission with its weight capacity to ensure safe operations.

UTVs are well suited for patient transportation from remote areas.

Once these questions have been answered, the organization can then look at the specifications of the different type UTV models available that best meet the mission objectives. Second, safety must always be high on the  list. Most UTVs provide seat belts, but make sure the UTV model you are interested in comes equipped with them and then write proper standard operating guidelines or procedures (SOGs/SOPs) to insure your organization follows the seat-belts-always rule. Just as important is to make sure the UTV has rollover protection structure (ROPS), which is essentially a roll cage protecting occupants in the seated areas in the UTV.

Weight Carrying Capacity

Lastly, departments must consider the overall weight carrying capacity of the entire unit, but the carrying capacity of the cargo bed is of utmost importance. This is where many departments get tripped up. They go out and purchase a unit, only to find out too late that it cannot meet industry-carrying requirements of these skid units.

When considering the purchase of a UTV, I am certain that true 4x4 or 6x6 drive train capability is a must for your organization. Again, check the make/model specifications carefully. Some claim to be 6x6 – which they are almost – but on closer inspection, you’ll notice that only four of the six wheels on the vehicle are true drive wheels and the other two are just freewheeling. While you are looking at the 6x6 units, test drive a unit and look at its turning radius versus the 4x4 unit. You might be required to purchase the 6x6 to handle the payload requirements of your mission.

On cargo bed requirements for a medical type skid unit, I have a rule of thumb – the UTV you are buying should be rated to carry at least 650 pounds in its cargo bed. We get to this number by adding the weight of the base skid unit – usually 150 pounds or less – to the average weight of an attendant, patient, trauma bag, oxygen bag and bottle and other necessary items.

There are UTVs out there rated to only carry 400 pounds in the cargo bed, which is way below the 650 pounds mentioned above.

Start With Web Sites

If it is a wildland firefighting skid, with water and gear, that you are interested in, that number can jump to 900 pounds or more for a required rated cargo capacity. When doing your due diligence and getting specifications, the Web sites of all the manufactures mentioned above are great places to start.

For instance, the Polaris 6x6 Ranger has an overall rated vehicle payload capacity of 1,750 pounds with a rated cargo bed capacity of 1,250 pounds. The Kubota RTV 900 has similar ratings at an overall payload capacity of 1,653 pounds and 1,102-pound cargo bed capacity. The Polaris Ranger 4x4 has a vehicle payload capacity of 1,500 pounds and a cargo bed rated capacity of 1,000 pounds.

Narrowing The Search

As you can see, the make and model specifications and rated capacities soon help you narrow your search for the right UTV for the mission you expect it to undertake.

Most UTV skid manufactures are starting to standardize the size of the skid units. The cargo bed of the UTV should be at least 49 inches wide and 54 inches long. UTV units with smaller sized beds will potentially restrict you as to how many skid units you have to choose from and could drive the price up substantially if a customized skid unit needs to be built to fit your particular UTV.

Remember, as a chief officer of an emergency services organization, you do not want to be put in the unenviable position of having to answer tough questions by a high-priced litigation attorney visiting your station because you placed the wrong UTV into the wrong mission area resulting in an accident.

We must give these vehicles the same respect and due diligence when deciding which unit to purchase as we do when we buy the larger vehicles. These vehicles, just like our large apparatus, can harm our personnel and our patients should an accident happen. It is imperative that we do everything to prevent an accident by purchasing the right UTV for the mission.

I must say I am not a fan of ATVs in use by emergency services. I bought one for my small rural department but soon felt that the unit did not provide enough safety protection for my firefighters and EMTs.

My first objection is you must ride up on an ATV, like a motorcycle, instead of inside a UTV like a car. Second, there are no seat belts on ATVs. UTVs, almost always have seat belts. And, lastly, the ATV can be very unstable in many conditions. They should serve limited mission roles in emergency services organizations.

In closing, consider your options of makes/models of UTVs very closely before you make the final purchase. Remember that cheaper, in terms of cost is, not always best when it comes to our national motto for firefighters: “Everyone comes home.”

Editor’s Note: Kimball Johnson is president and owner of KIMTEK Corporation, Westmore, Vt., a leading manufacturer of the MEDLITE Medical Transport skid unit, The FIRELITE Transport for wildland firefighting and makers of the EUV (emergency utility vehicle) which is a turnkey, ready for service unit. He is also the volunteer fire chief of the Westmore Fire Department, Orleans, Vt., and an Emergency Medical Technician.