Check Out The Hermon Fire Department’s Cool ‘Snow-bulance’ Rescue Boggan

Sometimes Fire Departments have some really cool tools at their disposal. This one, from the Town of Hermon Fire Department's Facebook page, caught my eye.

So I reached out to Hermon Fire Chief Cody Sullivan to get the skinny on this member of Hermon's rescue fleet, the rescue-boggan, also known as the "snowbulance".

"So that is a self-contained transport toboggan, so there's room for a patient on a backboard with spine mobilization, and also room for an EMT or a paramedic to attend to the potential victim's needs during transport off a trail."

"It's not self-propelled, it's a tow-behind, so it's made to tow behind a snowmobile."

Sullivan says the Hermon Firefighters, along with members of other local fire departments, train on these pieces of equipment, and keep them ready to be available in an instant, should the need arise in a snowy or icy situation.

"The snowbulance and the snowmobile are our biggest tools. Both pieces of equipment are in a large trailer, ready to go, with helmets and cold-weather gear, all ready to be deployed out the back of the trailer. "

Sullivan says that while the last few years haven't been that snowy, these tools will help the first responders respond quickly to many different possible situations.

"We've been called out to find lost or missing people, cross country skiing accidents. We've been called out to Hermon Pond for ice-fishing accidents or ice-skating. Hermon Mountain is obviously in the area, so we also do chairlift evac and rescue, if there was ever to be a breakdown or an accident that would leave passengers on a chair lift, we can do removal of people from a disabled chairlift."

Sullivan says this is the second season using the snowbulance. In prior years, the department has relied on a donated homemade rig provided by the Hermon Snowmobile Club.

"The town was gracious enough to purchase the trailer, the brand new trailer, and the snowbulance."

Get our free mobile app

Sullivan says the Hermon Fire Department trains, along with other neighboring departments, up in Rockwood.

He said the idea to purchase the new equipment came after a number of snowmobile fatalities in both Hermon and some neighboring towns.

"Because of that, we decided to step up our game and offer that service to our residents and surrounding communities."