Monday, April 30, 2007

  When a search and rescue team made up of 45 dedicated volunteers is faced with replacing a pair of aging snowmobiles, there`s bound to be some spirited discussion. Some members wanted to replace them with a pair of four wheel ATVs, while others wanted to maintain our ability to access several local mountains which are snow covered 6 months of the year. When the idea of purchasing an Argo was introduced we were intrigued, but not sold. Since no other search and rescue team in British Columbia had an Argo at that time, we needed to arrange a test drive. With the help of our local dealer, Maple Ridge Motorsports, we managed several test drives of the Argo Avenger, and the reviews were all positive.

The Avenger would give us the ability to take a team of three to near the top of at least two local mountains, one of which was currently only accessible as a 2 hour hike. It would also give us the ability to access both mountains in the snow. With money set aside by the City of Coquitlam for the replacement of our two snowmobiles, and some fund raising, we arranged to purchase an Avenger, and added the snow tracks and the winch. There was a lot of excitement on the team when we accepted delivery in 2006. The first week several members took the machine out and tested it`s limitations on Burke Mountain. They even went so far as to get the machine stuck for a short period of time while getting used to it`s handling! It`s was a good thing that they learned how to drive it so quickly, because we ended up sending it on it`s first search that very weekend. The Argo easily carried a team of three searchers, their packs containing overnight and rescue gear, and a driver over very rough deactivated logging roads to the site of a rescue. We saved time accessing the subject, and team members arrived on scene fresher from not having to hike the distance. This is a big deal when faced with carrying a subject out on a stretcher, a task which can take many more hours than the hike in. Even more important, it was easy to drive. Some members had driven these roads in their personal vehicles which takes a lot of skill and recked a certain amount of damage. While this is fun when it`s a recreational drive, when we`re on a rescue you just want to get to the scene. The Argo made that possible. While that first search was uneventful, during the rest of year we were given several opportunities to use the  Argo under different circumstances.

In October, a 16 year old girl collapsed in an area that in the past had proved particularly difficult to reach. In prior tasks, 4 wheel drive access to this area was impossible, and access by boat was required. In this instance, a team of three SAR members which included a Medical Doctor and a Paramedic were flown into the area, while a second team was sent by ground via the Argo. A third team of five followed in a 4X4 to secure the landing zone for the helicopter, and provide support for the first two teams.  She was quickly assessed, packaged and loaded into a hovering helicopter. Later in hospital it was discovered that the subject`s heart had momentarily stopped, but due to the prompt medical attention she received, she`s expected to be fine.

Over the rest of the year the Argo was used in several searches where team members and equipment had to be transported to and from the field, and on one unfortunate task to transport the coroner and a cadaver. We`ve recently put into service a custom-built stretcher carrier which will further improve the Argo`s utility for when we have to transport a subject who is not mobile. This attachment allows the driver, the subject and a stretcher attendant to ride in the Argo, and will save hours of carrying time for SAR members. Click here for more details about the ARGO in Action Over it`s first year of use the Argo has proven to be a great asset to the team, and we look forward to using it for many more tasks in the future. Click here for more images of the ARGO Avenger being used for rescue operations in Coquitlam (row 3 and 4) Michael Coyle Coquitlam SAR www.Coquitlam-SAR.bc.ca