Snowdog for Emergency, First Response, and Search & Rescue
Snowdogs have proven themselves as fun, useful machines in and out of the winter months, but have you thought about applications beyond hunting, fishing, gathering firewood, or just tooling around?
We have talked to a lot of people that love the idea of a Snowdog because it’s:
- Small
- Lightweight
- Versatile
- Cost effective when compared to an ATV or Snowmobile
Consider taking these same benefits and applying them to a search and rescue or emergency service profession. As a first responder - firefighter, paramedic or search and rescue team member - wouldn’t it be amazing to have a Snowdog ready to be unleashed at any moment to get you to those hard-to-reach destinations?
We wondered the same thing so we thought we should test it out.
This spring, we took our Snowdog pack out to the RM of Piney in Manitoba (just Southeast of Winnipeg) and met with the hard working men and women firefighters of the Woodridge Volunteer Fire Department. They put them to the test - trying them out on snow, mud, sand, gravel and grass. The guys and gals even got out their Rescue Manikin and a backboard to give a real life feel to the testing.
So what did we learn?
The Bad:
Really, all of the ‘bad’ points were around the summer use of a Snowdog.
- The 300lb weight limit when using the sleigh on grass/gravel is a limiting factor. Rescue operations can involve persons up to and over 400lbs. If you’re going to use a Snowdog in the summer, you’re going to want something with wheels like our 6’x3’ Snowdog Trailer.
- Since the unit is air cooled and it is recommended to remove the canvas in above-freezing temperatures, the Briggs and Stratton motor are subject to flying debris - sticks, leaves, mud. We have a solution coming for this… Stay tuned.
The Good:
- With a 650lb weight limit on snow & ice, the Snowdog can easily pull out a first responder and their rescue.
- A 7’ sleigh or longer is ideal for a backboard/stretcher. You can even chain sleighs together like a train to have the rescued party laying comfortably away from the first responder and any other gear.
- Snowdog’s small size and light weight means it can be loaded and unloaded into a truck or even on the back of an ATV/trailer in case it’s ever needed or to use it in a final leg of a rescue trip.
- There are a lot of places that a Snowmobile or ATV can get to, but there are also lots of places that you can’t. As soon as someone goes off trail (hunter in a blind/stand, ice fisher falls through the ice, etc) you are going to want the maximum 24” width and sub 300lb weight to get you close and help people out of trouble.
- Snowdog’s low overhead is ideal for volunteer or even taxpayer budgets - at ⅓ the price of an ATV or Snow Machine with no extra insurance or registration required.
- Snowdog’s simple design means it is easy to maintain - no different than a simple household lawn mower or slow blower.
Are you a First Responder? Do you have a need to go where most can’t? On a budget and want to add a useful tool to your arsenal? Contact us! We’d love to hear your thoughts.
If all of this sounds exciting and you want to try a FREE DEMO, reach out and say hello! We’ll come to you!
Sean @ Recreation Revolution
