By Sarah Stone

PHOTOS/VIDEO: Parkland Ambulance ATV driving force in rescues

Sep 17, 2013 | 5:13 PM

To rescue a 42-year-old man from a wooded area north of MacDowell on Monday, Parkland Ambulance had to utilize its Mobile Response Unit (MRU).

According Lyle Karasiuk with Parkland Ambulance, this specially designed ATV has been vital in rescue efforts for the past four years.

“Yesterday was the second time (this year) that we’ve actually been out on a rescue somewhere. On an average time it’s probably debatable of course, but most of the time we’re probably out a few times a year with it,” Karasiuk said.

The unit is “designed [to go] where we can’t get a conventional ambulance in to, and in some cases we can’t walk out with them.”

He said before they had this option, paramedics would often have to find a snowmobile or ATV in the area and try and attach a sled for the patient. With this unit, all the time used to get the pieces together is now used for patient care.

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“We managed to take a Polaris Ranger, which is what this is … and basically with a little ingenuity and working with a few local providers here in the city we were able to craft something that meets our needs and essentially works well for us in terms of what we need to do in order to provide rescue,” he explained.

“All the gear is in the vehicle, so they can essentially just start the treatment right away,” he continued, adding there is a foldable stretcher in the back.

Karasiuk said the MRU is not just for rescues in inaccessible places, but also for those that are at big events on location like the Summit Run and Street Fair because of its maneuverability through crowds.

The man rescued on Monday afternoon is currently in good condition recovering from his injuries.

sstone@panow.com

On Twitter: @sarahstone84