Southern Ontario fire department acquires UTV for remote medical emergencies
It’s southern Ontario’s largest forest.
And with hundreds of kilometers of trails for hiking, snowmobiling, horseback riding, cross-country skiing, and snowmobiling, the Ganaraska Forest also poses a logistical nightmare for first responders, in case of a medical emergency.
But volunteers from the Cavan Monaghan Fire Department now have a versatile tool at their disposal—a 2016 Polaris utility task vehicle (UTV), purchased in part through Enbridge’s Safe Community program— that can enable a rescue across nearly any terrain.
The Cavan Monaghan FD took possession of its new UTV, equipped with a track system instead of wheels, in mid-May.
“What this vehicle will do for us is virtually immeasurable,” says Bill Balfour, fire chief with the Cavan Monaghan FD, near Peterborough, ON. “We’re responsible for a 10,000-acre portion of the Ganaraska Forest—a remote, but well-travelled, part of our municipality. And since our (township) council matched Enbridge’s funding, we were able to equip our UTV with tracks and use it year-round—in mud, in snow, over rocks, over soggy ground.
“Our UTV also has a tow-behind unit that’s engineered to transport patients. It’s an incredible, multi-faceted piece of equipment that can be used for technical rescues,” adds Balfour. “If we need to, the basket portion can be lowered down into a ravine, and the patient can be extricated, hooked back up to the bike and taken back to the nearest road.”
Up until now, equipment, water, and medical aid have been provided on foot in impassable conditions. Now, the township’s firefighters—who provide protective services to about 9,000 people, spread over about 308 square kilometres—will be able to focus their energy on fighting fires, saving lives and protecting property, rather than hauling equipment, adds Balfour.
The Cavan Monaghan FD’s new UTV was purchased, in part, through a $10,000 donation from Enbridge’s Safe Community program, which provides equipment, training and education for emergency responders in the communities near our operations and projects.
“Covering an area like the Ganaraska Forest is a big lift, but Chief Balfour and his colleagues have found a practical and inventive way to use this Safe Community donation for front-line emergency response,” says Ken Hall, Enbridge’s Ontario-based senior advisor of public affairs.
The UTV acquisition has spurred a secondary campaign—this one from fire department members themselves, who are doing private fundraising to purchase a $9,000 enclosed utility trailer to house various pieces of vital equipment.
“Our firefighters are so grateful to have this unit,” says Balfour. “Because of Enbridge’s donation, other people are stepping up and saying they want to contribute too.”
