Gators aid wilderness rescues
Warren County’s EMS and rescue squad now have the capability to more effectively handle wilderness rescues with the purchase of two John Deere Gators through a Homeland Security grant. County Executive Kenneth Rogers feels the vehicles will be able to serve multiple functions for the county.
“The first thing that came to our mind was the fair,” said Rogers. “You just can’t get down in there, if someone had an injury, with a truck. You’ve got to walk down there and maybe walk them back out.”
The number of agricultural properties around the county are also a concern, and the machines should help there too, according to Rogers.
“If somebody got hurt or injured with a piece of equipment then instead of having to go back in there and bring them out the best you can,” Rogers said, “we could take these Gators in and bring them out.”
Rogers pointed out the popularity of outdoor activities in the area, such as hunting and four-wheeling, may result in situations where the vehicles can provide much-needed transportation for wilderness searches and rescues.
“With the Gators we’re able to go back in remote areas and haul the patient out,” Rogers said.
EMS director Leonard Madewell was pleased with the purchases as well.
“There’s a lot of trail riding on the mountain,” Madewell said. “Four-wheelers. There’s a lot of horseback riding and they go just about everywhere the four-wheelers go. If a horse reared up and threw you, or fell on you, that can be as devastating as rolling a four-wheeler. I think they’ll help out quite a bit in that capacity.
The Gators cost $9,000 each, including a roll-cage to protect passengers if the machine should overturn. The vehicles aren’t technically street legal, so the county will be purchasing trailers to transport the machines to the sites where they may be needed.
Rogers said the Gators may be used at football games and even softball tournaments where it would be difficult to get an ambulance on the field.
“There’s a multitude of things that we could use it for,” Rogers said, noting that both Madewell and rescue squad director Fred Hillis were pleased to get the equipment. “This was something they felt was needed.”