New Rhino 450 ATV extends rescue unit’s reach
January 4, 2007
CARBONDALE TWP. — A new piece of equipment has been added to the Whites Crossing Fire Department arsenal for firefighting and rescues.
The Rhino 450 — a heavy-duty, all-terrain utility vehicle — is ideal for situations ranging from brush fires to ATV rollovers to search-and-rescue operations, Fire Chief Tim MacDonald said.
A cross between a small pickup truck and an ATV, the vehicle has a covered cab and a bed that can transport emergency personnel to locations off the beaten path. Whites Crossing firefighters estimate five people, including a patient, can comfortably be transported in it.
“We went back through the years of records and ... we found 95 percent of our brush fires were not accessible by truck,” he said.
So in April, Chief MacDonald wrote a grant proposal for matching funds to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for $15,000 to buy the multipurpose vehicle. Through fundraisers and donations, the department supplied the other $15,000.
Firefighter Jeff Miller recalled an ATV accident off exit 6 of the Casey Highway, a mining road, early in the spring when the vehicle would have helped.
“We took the brush truck down there and we couldn’t maneuver it down there so we had to walk him (the victim) out,” Mr. Miller said.
The Rhino 450 was delivered to the fire department Nov. 24 and the firefighters have been training with it regularly.
Firefighter Charlie Gardecki, who had never driven an ATV before the Rhino arrived, said the vehicle has been user-friendly.
“It handles well,” he said. “You just have to get used to it.”
Added Fire Lt. Kristian Short: “I love it. It’s a good machine.”
In the future, Chief MacDonald said the firefighters hope to purchase a portable hydraulic tool, used for extractions, that can be put in the Rhino bed and taken to a site.
Article Reference:
The Times-Tribune - New vehicle extends rescue unit’s reach
CARBONDALE TWP. — A new piece of equipment has been added to the Whites Crossing Fire Department arsenal for firefighting and rescues.
The Rhino 450 — a heavy-duty, all-terrain utility vehicle — is ideal for situations ranging from brush fires to ATV rollovers to search-and-rescue operations, Fire Chief Tim MacDonald said.
A cross between a small pickup truck and an ATV, the vehicle has a covered cab and a bed that can transport emergency personnel to locations off the beaten path. Whites Crossing firefighters estimate five people, including a patient, can comfortably be transported in it.
“We went back through the years of records and ... we found 95 percent of our brush fires were not accessible by truck,” he said.
So in April, Chief MacDonald wrote a grant proposal for matching funds to the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources for $15,000 to buy the multipurpose vehicle. Through fundraisers and donations, the department supplied the other $15,000.
Firefighter Jeff Miller recalled an ATV accident off exit 6 of the Casey Highway, a mining road, early in the spring when the vehicle would have helped.
“We took the brush truck down there and we couldn’t maneuver it down there so we had to walk him (the victim) out,” Mr. Miller said.
The Rhino 450 was delivered to the fire department Nov. 24 and the firefighters have been training with it regularly.
Firefighter Charlie Gardecki, who had never driven an ATV before the Rhino arrived, said the vehicle has been user-friendly.
“It handles well,” he said. “You just have to get used to it.”
Added Fire Lt. Kristian Short: “I love it. It’s a good machine.”
In the future, Chief MacDonald said the firefighters hope to purchase a portable hydraulic tool, used for extractions, that can be put in the Rhino bed and taken to a site.
Article Reference:
The Times-Tribune - New vehicle extends rescue unit’s reach
