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Rush Valley council approves Stokes rescue basket for fire department
Summary
The council approved purchase of a Stokes (rescue) basket and tie-in system for $2,158.52 to improve low-angle and mountain rescue capability; members discussed additional harnesses and gear that could bring the full setup to roughly $3,000 more.
The Rush Valley Town Council voted Nov. 12 to purchase a Stokes (rescue) basket and patient tie-in system for the fire department at a total cost of $2,158.52, council members said.
Speaker 3 moved for the purchase and the council discussed recent calls in which firefighters said a Stokes basket would have reduced patient-extraction time and improved safety. Speaker 5 (the fire spokesperson) described several incidents where backboards and improvised methods were used: multiple ATV rollovers, a call where an ambulance could not reach a patient, and cases requiring patients to be carried long distances to helicopter landing zones. He said a properly tied-in Stokes basket and harness reduces time to get a patient to definitive care and lowers risk for responders.
Council members approved the basket and tie-in system on a voice vote; the chief noted additional harnesses and low-angle-rescue equipment would be desirable and would cost about $3,000 to complete the full setup. Fire personnel and council members emphasized the purchase is intended to improve response times in the town’s rugged response area and to reduce risk during mountain or low-angle rescues.
No formal grant or outside funding was cited in the meeting for this purchase; council members discussed budgeting for the remainder of the system in coming months.
The council’s approval directs staff to complete the purchase and that fire leadership will pursue completion of the low-angle-rescue kit in future procurement actions.
