Reaching patients in out-of-the-way places, like in parks, on hiking and walking trails, in recreational areas, or even in wilder spots, can be problematic when a department has only a traditional ambulance or response vehicle available.
Many departments solve the problem by outfitting off-road EMS rigs on four- and six-wheel utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs).
Jason Black, president of MTECH’s QTAC Fire and Rescue Apparatus, says QTAC recently introduced a new off-road EMS platform, the EMS-RG. “This is our rescue gurney platform that has attachments to hold a standard stretcher and a fixed L-track with adjustable mounts for a heel stop and tying down bags,” Black says. “It’s slightly longer than our EMS-R rescue platform that can carry a stokes basket and has an attendant seat with a seat belt and a storage box, which means it requires a UTV set up for utility rather than sport. The bed capacity and size are important too because you want a 1,000-pound capacity for carrying a patient.”
QTAC also makes three rescue/fire platforms, which can be mounted on UTVs: the 85EMS with a fixed stokes platform, a WATERAX Versax 6 high-pressure pump, 85 gallons of water, and a hose reel; the 85EMS-C, with the same fire suppression equipment but with a collapsible stokes platform; and the 70EMS-L, a lightweight model with a fixed stokes platform and carrying 70 gallons of water. Black notes that QTAC’s rescue platforms have been placed on UTVs and ATVs made by Can-Am, Polaris, Honda, Gravely, Mahindra, Kubota, and Bobcat.
Kimball Johnson, president of Kimtek Corp., says Kimtek makes the MEDLITE® line of EMS/rescue skids and the FIRELITE® line of fire/EMS/rescue skids. “Our most popular model is the MTD-103 MEDLITE Transport Deluxe,” Johnson points out. “It’s made of all aluminum tubing with a diamond plate chassis, has a two-position Guide-Lock seat and seat belt, accommodates a long board or stokes basket, and has a 9-cubic-foot storage area with a slide-out tray.” Johnson adds that the MTD-103 can be mounted on most large UTV side-by-side chassis.
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1 QTAC Fire and Rescue Apparatus, a product of MTECH, Inc., introduced a new off-road EMS platform, the EMS-RG, a rescue gurney unit that has attachments to hold a standard stretcher. (Photo 1 courtesy of QTAC Fire.)
2 EMS personnel package a patient in a Kimtek Corp. MEDLITE MTD-103 EMS/rescue skid. (Photo 2 courtesy of Kimtek Corp.)
3 A rescue firefighter operates off the rear of a Polaris Ranger XP 1000 Northstar EMS UTV rig. (Photo 3 courtesy of Polaris Government and Defense.)
He notes that fire departments and EMS agencies commonly use Kimtek’s MEDLITE units for off-road rescues; search and rescue operations; lifeguard operations on beaches; and large-crowd events such as county fairs, parades, and concerts. Johnson says the FIRELITE line encompasses 10 models, with a selection of pump and tank sizes for fire suppression, a hose reel, and a rescue platform that can carry a backboard or stokes basket.
Harold Wagner, director of EMS strategic initiatives for the Fire Department of New York (FDNY), says FDNY has a long history of running what it calls Alternative Support Apparatus (ASAP). “One ASAP model we have has a fully enclosed cab and patient compartment with air-conditioning, while the other version has sidewalls and a canopy on top and sits higher off the ground,” Wagner points out. “Both models are on Polaris Ranger 6×6 chassis, and the enclosed models are assigned to Times Square 12 hours a day, seven days a week, while the sidewall models run seasonably on New York’s beaches. These include Coney Island, Rockaway Beach, and Orchard Beach, and they operate whenever lifeguards are on duty.”
Wagner says the rigs are 63 inches wide, 180 inches long, and 94 inches to the top of the box, allowing them to navigate many areas where a traditional full-size ambulance could not fit. “Both models carry the same type of cot, along with every piece of equipment we have on our BLS (basic life support) ambulances, like a suction unit, defibrillator, trauma bag, oxygen bag, and portable and onboard oxygen systems,” he adds. The units are on-demand, all-wheel drive, powered by an 800-cc twin cylinder gasoline engine, have a 4,500 GVWR (gross vehicle weight rating), a top speed of 40 miles per hour, and a low center of gravity—passing a tilt table test of 24 degrees and a slope climbing test of 31 degrees, Wagner says.
4 CET Fire Pumps Manufacturing makes a rescue skid unit that’s designed to fit on most UTV units. (Photo 4 courtesy of CET Fire Pumps Manufacturing.)
5 The Chesapeake (VA) Fire Department’s M-RAT unit is built on an Intimidator chassis with a medical box made by ASAP Off-Road Specialty Vehicles that carries the same medical equipment as Chesapeake’s ambulances. (Photo 5 courtesy of Chesapeake Fire Department.)
Tony Stanley, government and defense business development manager for Polaris Government and Defense, says Polaris has developed turnkey solutions for fire and rescue agencies with its XP1000 lineup. “Our Northstar EMS edition comes with a full cab, hard doors, roll-down windows, wipers, heat and air-conditioning, an attendant’s seat, and a mount for a stokes basket,” Stanley says.
Polaris makes several versions of its firefighting and rescue packages, including a basic setup with a firefighting and rescue skid and its Pro XD full-size basic and premium diesel firefighting and rescue units.
Jerry Halpin, vice president of sales and marketing for CET Fire Pumps Manufacturing, says CET makes a rescue skid designed to fit on most UTV units. “Our emergency rescue skid unit can turn any UTV into a mini ambulance,” Halpin says. “It’s made of aluminum diamond plate and is rugged, rustproof, and affordable. It has an attendant seat with a safety belt, a platform with 10 hook-and-loop fastener D loop straps to carry a long board, and enclosed storage under the patient area.”
6 The Summit Fire Apparatus-built R.E.D. wagon trailer is shown carrying a stokes basket and wire rescue basket over four folded seating positions. (Photo 6 courtesy of Summit Fire Apparatus.)
CET also makes a fire/rescue skid called a Skeeter Space-Pac, Halpin notes. “This unit has a stokes basket platform on top of a 30- to 80-gallon water tank, and next to it is a 6- or 11-hp forestry water pump, which eliminates the attendant seat,” he says. “This has proven to be a very popular unit.”
Jason Coup, a lieutenant with the Chesapeake (VA) Fire Department, says Chesapeake started using a Medical Rapid Access Transport (M-RAT) unit in May of 2021. “It’s built on an Intimidator chassis with a medical box added by ASAP Offroad Specialty Vehicles,” Coup says. “A motorized Stryker stretcher fits in the back with about a foot of room on the side for an attendant. We carry the same medical equipment as in an ambulance, from our EMS jump bag for airway and trauma management to trauma dressings, gloves, nasal cannula, cardiac monitor, and drug and IV boxes.” Coup says the department uses the M-RAT mostly for large-scale events, like the Fourth of July celebration, concerts, and entertainment events.
Joe Messmer, president of Summit Fire Apparatus, says Summit makes the Remote Evacuation and Deployment (R.E.D.) wagon, a trailer unit originally designed for the Cincinnati (OH) Fire Department to transport hazardous materials response personnel in their bulky hazmat suits to a scene. “They never had to use it for a hazmat response, but they did use it to get personnel to wildland fires,” Messmer says. “It’s also been used for search and rescue and to extract patients from hard-to-reach areas.”
He notes there are two versions of the R.E.D. wagon. The first seats six persons in seats that face out and fold down, with a flip-up footrest below. The center area can hold a backboard, stokes, or other equipment. The second design has the seats facing inboard, typically three individual seats on one side and a bench seat on the other. Two long pocket compartments under the seating can hold long-handled equipment, and a stokes or backboard can be carried on the walkway decking between the seats.
ALAN M. PETRILLO is a Tucson, Arizona-based journalist, the author of three novels and five nonfiction books, and a member of the Fire Apparatus & Emergency Equipment Editorial Advisory Board. He served 22 years with the Verdoy (NY) Fire Department, including in the position of chief.
