Earlier this year five all-terrain rescue vehicles were placed into service at County Fire stations to assist with hard to reach and remote calls. The all-terrain vehicles, dubbed “All-Terrain Response Vehicles” (ARV) have been a valuable asset for back country and off-highway incidents. Each ARV are four-wheel drive, have seating for three and house a patient care area to transport patients. ARV also carry advanced life support (ALS) gear so firefighter-paramedics can initiate patient care in remote areas. The ARV’s are assigned to Station 96 (Fawnskin), Station 25 (Crestline), Station 53 (Baker), Station 232 (San Bernardino) & Station 92 (Lake Arrowhead). These diverse districts cover thousands of square miles of popular hiking, climbing and off-road vehicle areas.
Our backcountry areas have seen a significant uptick in activity with the COVID pandemic. With the rise, we have responded to a significant increase of incidents in our rural and hard to reach areas. San Bernardino County Fire covers more than 19,000 square miles including forest land, desert area and urban areas. Fire crews have completed comprehensive training on ARV operation, GPS mapping and area familiarization to ensure they are ready to respond to these unique calls. #SBCoFD Crews also work closely with San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Air Operations and Sheriff Search & Rescue Teams. Many of these calls require air transport, hoist or involve search and rescue teams. This cooperation and teamwork is vital for patient care and outcome.
Just yesterday SBCoFD crews utilized two ARV’s for Rescues in the Cajon Pass & Lake Arrowhead at the same time. Monday ARV96 was utilized for a lightning strike fire to transport firefighters and equipment to a remote area north of Fawnskin. These vehicles allow County Firefighters-Paramedics to quickly and safely respond to areas where conventional fire apparatus aren’t able to access. The ARVs are typically towed by a utility vehicle to the incident area, then respond off-highway to help assist with locating patients, providing advanced life support and transporting to an awaiting ambulance.
Contact – Mike McClintock, Battalion Chief / PIO, MMcClintock@sbcfire.org
