OK, you Emergency Response guys..

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TJDIV

TJDIV

UP of MI.
Joined
Jan 28, 2003
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UP of Michigan
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www.roamwherever.com
I'm strongly considering using my FJ45LV as a base for an ERV. It's not going to get hacked up, and the only stipulation I've added is that it retain it's ability to return to stock if need be. (hence scrapping the V8 idea and going with an I-6 Cummins Turbo Diesel)

Anyway, for Hurricane's, Tornadoes, and general flooding/disaster type environments, let me hear your ideas that you think would be functional, cool, or just down-right ridiculous on the Cruiser.

We've already decided on several winch points for vessel recovery, snorkel, Turbo Diesel, etc.. and should be getting out of design and into build this summer. No rush on it, but I do want to have the bases covered.

Thanks.

We've got a pretty cool idea for a roof rack to the frame that can hold an ATV. (Don't ask how, think about it!!....and whistle the Dukes of Hazard tune...)

Towing modified Jet-Ski's, air compressor, welder, etc. It'll make for an all around killer rig as well, but again, you EMS guys...I need some tips. 8)
 
well for an emergency response vehicle, your on the right track to run a diesel with snorkle.
 
Ok here is my imput, I have been a firefighter for several years and in wildland fires two winches would be great. 1 in front to get the other guy and pull yourself out, 1 in the rear to get yourself out quickly for rapid egress. Hydro up front electric in the rear? Lots of storage for tools and supplies, even on BLM type IV there is never enough room for stuff, esp. extended attack w/o resupply. Overbuild every thing!!!! even more than toyota does. You will break something so keep it simple, our new trucks are very heavy on electric gizzmos, fence wire and duck tape will not fix a broken pump throttle anymore.

:beer:COme on guys there are lots of better thinker than me speak up.
 
Call me skeptical...but doesn't that quad on the roof rack thing make the truck REAL top heavy?? Or maybe I'm not whistling the dukes theme right

Geoff
 
Not sure about the quad up top either Tommy. Maybe and inflatable raft w/small outboard will work, trailer a quad behind it. Prioritize your real world uses and then make up a wish list of tools/equipment you want to carry. Then start hacking away at it, because weight will become an issue as well as the ability to access items. That's why firetrucks have compartments on the outside and Chiefs' who want to load way more s*** onto the truck then necessary.

Items we use on a regular basis:
1. Medical equipment (ie O2, trauma kit, AED, Suction unit....)
2. Backboards and straps (Includes collars and CID's)
3. Specialized tools (ropes, hand tools, air tools w/bottles, repelling equipment)
4. Couple basic types of extinguishers, flares etc.
5. Dive rescue equipment

Just think of the particular area and terrain this will be used in. Don't make it something it's not, ie heavy rescue, fire engine blah, blah, blah.

I would consider this a quick response vehicle used in really rough terrain (hence the weight issues) and equipped with the most basic items necessary to get the victim to a helicopter LZ or to a waiting ambulance. Remember you're gonna have to have a place in the back for a victim on a backboard attended by an EMT/Paramedic. Lots of stuff to think about.
 
I know nothing about rescue, so take all of this with many grains of salt.. :D

Hot water shower on the vehicle would be nice/safe/smart. Lots of lights, if you have a roof-rack-ish thing, maybe big lights (Lightforce ones maybe) on all sides of it, each on a swivel, you can never have to much light. Plus a few serious portable ones, mounted to a sealed (Optima?) battery, one handle picks the whole thing up, will sit there and be bright for hours without worrying about it...that could be very useful.

Something that would be really cool would be a PTO water pump, something that pumps some serious water, not really a bolt-on item, but if you're talking about floods and such, could be useful. Compartments for SCUBA gear, not typically used for flood stuff, but certainly would be helpful for finding items underwater.

Small platforms on the side of the vehicle, like really wide sliders, that people could stand on so as you're driving around, looking for people/vehicles, you could have helpers just hanging on yours, so they could jump off at anytime to help.

Maybe some clever winch points, for example, a friend in Alaska had pulleys so his winch could go up and through the vehicle (swamp buggy, so not a 'vehicle'), also could go down under the vehicle, to the sides etc, cable went through several pulleys, but the correct angle is very important at times...some of this you could do with a winch on a square hitch thing that you could move around to the sides, etc.

You'd probably want your electrical system to be isolated from all these accessories so nothing could prevent your's from starting.

Ok, nothing all that useful, but I'm bored...
 
2 words: utility bed. Maybe a canvas or 'glass cap, too. Like a plumber's truck. Then
you could store the stock bed if it ever needed to be brought to stock form.
I just don't think a wagon is going to make a good platform for what you're
describing.
But... If you're bent on the LV, you could hack up the body and get a similar effect.
But then there goes the ability to bring it back to stock.
Does your waggy have barn doors or liftgate? (Can't remember offhand which it was
available with.) Barn doors migh be safer. Can't fall on your head if the struts give
out. :) Easier access to the interior too.
Good luck. Sounds like a good idea if you can sort out the logistics. And keep us
updated on it. :D
 
Steve; I like the idea of the raft on top. Much better than an ATV!!

As far as hacking it up, uh, you're joking with me, so I'll leave that alone. Right?!!!

It is just that Steve, a QUICK response. Something that is light, capable and can get out to "new" sandbars, washout areas, etc...and recover shore-bound boats, isolated cars, property, hell, even people or pets. My thinking is that when a hurricane hits, we're pretty much on standby at the shop/station and ready to go. I know the FD here has a couple of pretty outfitted Fords that I'm planning on looking at to see what they use, but the bottom line is that when something like a Hurricane hits here; there's never enough response right away, and it never comes quick enough.

NOT saying that teams and people don't do their jobs. I'm saying that someone, somewhere and any given time may be saved by a quicker response.

Jet Ski's on the trailer for Flooding; winching ability on every side of the truck. It's going to be a job no doubt. One that I'm not all too sure I REALLY want to get in to with this Cruiser, but am considering it.

I've seen the response trucks on the beach running Cepek Kevlar tires somewhere down around 10 PSI and they haul ASS over the beach sand. Pretty impressive. Just want to outfit something to help these guys when the goin' gets tough.

Good Tips.
8)
Repelling Gear huh? Whoa.
 
Don't forget a pull-pal or the like for winching in sand.
(I don't think there are too many trees on sand bars in florida)
Air lockers front and rear-you want to be able to go fast and easy on any terrain, and in my opinion that necessitates open and locked diffs.
KISS-Keep It Simple Stupid.
 
[quote author=TJDIV link=board=14;threadid=15531;start=msg150000#msg150000 date=1083636203]
Steve; I like the idea of the raft on top. Much better than an ATV!!

As far as hacking it up, uh, you're joking with me, so I'll leave that alone. Right?!!!

It is just that Steve, a QUICK response. Something that is light, capable and can get out to "new" sandbars, washout areas, etc...and recover shore-bound boats, isolated cars, property, hell, even people or pets. My thinking is that when a hurricane hits, we're pretty much on standby at the shop/station and ready to go. I know the FD here has a couple of pretty outfitted Fords that I'm planning on looking at to see what they use, but the bottom line is that when something like a Hurricane hits here; there's never enough response right away, and it never comes quick enough.

NOT saying that teams and people don't do their jobs. I'm saying that someone, somewhere and any given time may be saved by a quicker response.

Jet Ski's on the trailer for Flooding; winching ability on every side of the truck. It's going to be a job no doubt. One that I'm not all too sure I REALLY want to get in to with this Cruiser, but am considering it.

I've seen the response trucks on the beach running Cepek Kevlar tires somewhere down around 10 PSI and they haul ASS over the beach sand. Pretty impressive. Just want to outfit something to help these guys when the goin' gets tough.

Good Tips.
8)
Repelling Gear huh? Whoa.
[/quote]
Tommy, when I was talking about hacking away at it, I meant the equipment list. NEVER EVER would I want you to hack away at that fine truck. :D

We sent several engines over to Miami after Hurricane Andrew and one of the first things you noticed was that EVERYONE had flat tires from the debris, something to consider anyways. May wabt to carry some chainsaws too to clear trees from the roadway as that is one of the first things we do after a storm. Are you gonna rhinoline the under carriage for any sea excursions? Have you talked to Emergency Management yet about this project?

Personally I'd like to see a SOA riding on 37" MTR's with a surfboard rack on top, checking out the wildlife at the beach :o
 
[quote author=hj60 link=board=14;threadid=15531;start=msg148956#msg148956 date=1083467952]
2 words: utility bed. Maybe a canvas or 'glass cap, too. Like a plumber's truck. Then
you could store the stock bed if it ever needed to be brought to stock form.
I just don't think a wagon is going to make a good platform for what you're
describing.
But... If you're bent on the LV, you could hack up the body and get a similar effect.
But then there goes the ability to bring it back to stock.
Does your waggy have barn doors or liftgate? (Can't remember offhand which it was
available with.) Barn doors migh be safer. Can't fall on your head if the struts give
out. :) Easier access to the interior too.
Good luck. Sounds like a good idea if you can sort out the logistics. And keep us
updated on it. :D
[/quote]


STEVE, steve, steve....not you man. I know what you meant.

No hacking going on.

Not sure what's gonna happen with the lift. I HATE the body lift on it, but it'll fit 37's right now. I'm taking the body lift off, or at least cutting it down a little.

Going to call the FD here this week.
 
Not to come off as sounding too paranoid...but...


Am I correct in understanding that you have NO emergency training?

After a hurricane, tornado, flood, whatever. You don't want to go in the water. Especially with a PWC, they are jet driven. There is so much debrie in the water you would get about ten yards and have to stop and clean out the grate. Our river rescue team uses inflatable rafts that are open on the stern so water can flow out, they are also tied in at two points (the raft), with safeties up and down river. On the same subject, when they enter the river, usually flash flood type run off, afterwards they get a gamo-goblin shot (sp?). That is some nasty stuff to be swimming around in. Also, if a car is stuck somewhere, it is probably best just to extract the person from the car. The life is much more valuable than a piece of machinery that just got hammered by some storm anyway. If the car is out by itself, just leave it alone.


IMO, calls I have gone on, people that try to help out often end up getting in the way or worse yet getting hurt.



If you have the training, equipment, and time to put forth such a project. Go for it. I am merely pointing out the "other" side. And luckly, I have don't deal with hurricanes or torandoes.

You, do however have the right idea. Possibly get some kind of drawer system, this way everything can be orgainzed, and accessed at a moments notice. You don't want to be diggin around for stuff. Medical Aid equipment, water rescue, dive rescue, vehicle rescue, entry equipment, etc. Also make sure the containers are water proof, something like pelican is good. Nothing is more frustrating than having equipment that is supposed to stay dry get wet.

The f/r lockers is a great place to start, along with on board air, and at least two spare tires if you plan on driving through wreckage of sorts. Also f/r winches, probably the biggest you can get if you want to pull stuck vehicles out. Additionally, as it was already said, lights. Lights that work good, and won't fail on you. And you might want to think about some sort of communication system. Maybe a race radio, with a base and a couple of hand-helds. Or the FRS (?) system, which is relatively cheap, and effective.

The number one is though should always be your and your crews safety. If you get injured or something happens, then the rescue situation just got more complicated.
 
[quote author=blupaddler link=board=14;threadid=15531;start=msg152863#msg152863 date=1083999072]
Not to come off as sounding too paranoid...but...


Am I correct in understanding that you have NO emergency training?

After a hurricane, tornado, flood, whatever. You don't want to go in the water. Especially with a PWC, they are jet driven. There is so much debrie in the water you would get about ten yards and have to stop and clean out the grate. Our river rescue team uses inflatable rafts that are open on the stern so water can flow out, they are also tied in at two points (the raft), with safeties up and down river. On the same subject, when they enter the river, usually flash flood type run off, afterwards they get a gamo-goblin shot (sp?). That is some nasty stuff to be swimming around in. Also, if a car is stuck somewhere, it is probably best just to extract the person from the car. The life is much more valuable than a piece of machinery that just got hammered by some storm anyway. If the car is out by itself, just leave it alone.


IMO, calls I have gone on, people that try to help out often end up getting in the way or worse yet getting hurt.



If you have the training, equipment, and time to put forth such a project. Go for it. I am merely pointing out the "other" side. And luckly, I have don't deal with hurricanes or torandoes.

You, do however have the right idea. Possibly get some kind of drawer system, this way everything can be orgainzed, and accessed at a moments notice. You don't want to be diggin around for stuff. Medical Aid equipment, water rescue, dive rescue, vehicle rescue, entry equipment, etc. Also make sure the containers are water proof, something like pelican is good. Nothing is more frustrating than having equipment that is supposed to stay dry get wet.

The f/r lockers is a great place to start, along with on board air, and at least two spare tires if you plan on driving through wreckage of sorts. Also f/r winches, probably the biggest you can get if you want to pull stuck vehicles out. Additionally, as it was already said, lights. Lights that work good, and won't fail on you. And you might want to think about some sort of communication system. Maybe a race radio, with a base and a couple of hand-helds. Or the FRS (?) system, which is relatively cheap, and effective.

The number one is though should always be your and your crews safety. If you get injured or something happens, then the rescue situation just got more complicated.







[/quote]


I appreciate the concern actually. Somewhat surprised nobody else asked.

I've got a "modest" amount of training from the AF. A significant amount actually. I'm not too afraid to swim in Hurricane Churning Water. I've done it.

We're going to do a pretty cool tubed rear bumper though, serving as an air tank, with fitting hoses dropping out. It's going to be a work in progress for some time, but it'll serve the community well when it's finished. Hurricane's can be more devastating than a lot of people know. Any extra help can't be bad.

I got the seats mounted last night, got the front end sanded and primed for durabak, and re-did the dash. I'm taping everything off tonight for the big spray down.

:cheers:
 
[quote author=blupaddler link=board=14;threadid=15531;start=msg152863#msg152863 date=1083999072]

You, do however have the right idea. Possibly get some kind of drawer system, this way everything can be orgainzed, and accessed at a moments notice. You don't want to be diggin around for stuff. Medical Aid equipment, water rescue, dive rescue, vehicle rescue, entry equipment, etc. Also make sure the containers are water proof, something like pelican is good. Nothing is more frustrating than having equipment that is supposed to stay dry get wet.

The f/r lockers is a great place to start, along with on board air, and at least two spare tires if you plan on driving through wreckage of sorts. Also f/r winches, probably the biggest you can get if you want to pull stuck vehicles out. Additionally, as it was already said, lights. Lights that work good, and won't fail on you. And you might want to think about some sort of communication system. Maybe a race radio, with a base and a couple of hand-helds. Or the FRS (?) system, which is relatively cheap, and effective.

The number one is though should always be your and your crews safety. If you get injured or something happens, then the rescue situation just got more complicated.







[/quote]

good tips too. 8)
 
[quote author=TJDIV link=board=14;threadid=15531;start=msg152933#msg152933 date=1084033221]I've got a "modest" amount of training from the AF. A significant amount actually. I'm not too afraid to swim in Hurricane Churning Water. I've done it.[/quote]
PJ?
I was a pilot and Life Support Officer in a rescue unit. I learned a bit about rescue, mostly to let the PJs do their job and stay outa the way! Rescue is a serious, serious job, something I'd never try without a lot of training, equipment, and a well trained and familiar team. Be realistic about what you're capable of. In a disaster you can do a lot of great things without putting yourself in danger. If you get over your head that endangers and ties up rescuers helping you. When rescuers jump into hurricane churning water it's because someone's going to die if they don't. They have a lot of training in it, carry a lot of very expensive and exhaustively maintained equipment, and have drilled on this rescue endlessly with the rest of the team they're working with. Victims grab them around the throat, climb on top of them, pull off or get tangled in their equipment. Routine situations get dangerous fast. I've played victim in many training scenarios, and people sometimes got hurt just in practice rescues! Be careful. Unless you've got the green feet.
 
[quote author=Scott M. link=board=14;threadid=15531;start=msg167016#msg167016 date=1086052028]
PJ?
I was a pilot and Life Support Officer in a rescue unit. I learned a bit about rescue, mostly to let the PJs do their job and stay outa the way! Rescue is a serious, serious job, something I'd never try without a lot of training, equipment, and a well trained and familiar team. [/quote]

Sound advice. Usually the first thing I do on a rescue is send the civilians packing. Not that I don't appreciate the concern, it's just that our teams have worked and trained together for years, and I know I can count on my fellow rescuers when our lives are, quite literally, in each other's hands.

Personally, we rarely use our personal vehicles on rescues...while my cruiser is much more capable than the Ford Expeds and Suburbans we have, I'd rather beat the $#!t our of a govt. vehicle than my own.

If you want to get involved, look up the local search & rescue team and become a member. Most are volunteer, and the training you'll receive is well worth the time commitment. Don't be bummed if you can't jump right into the technical swift water/high angle etc. rescue at first. It's a very specialized field that takes years of training to become competant with.

As for an all around vehicle, I'd just equip it as you would a general use 4x4. Good tires, no more than 33", winch, recovery gear etc. May want to upgrade to a family channel UHF radio, as CBs are basically worthless for other than in sight car to car comm.

There's no need to carry ALS medical equipment unless you know how to use it...even then much of that must be done by a licensed and qualified paramedic with medical direction from a local hospital to back it up. You're asking for big trouble if you act beyond your scope of training and there are complications.

Same thing goes for swift water/technical rescue gear. The forces involved in this type of work will EASILY kill you if you don't know what you're doing, and most rescues of this sort need a well qualified team working together to make it work. If you want to do the basics, take a Wilderness First Responder medical course, and concentrate on learning how to properly operate your vehicle recovery equipment. Make sure you can get communications to the local EMS/Fire/Police/Sheriff's departments, who will be coordinating any emergency disaster response for your area.

-H-
(Operating off of 45 minutes sleep from a search last night... ::) )
 
You guys are right on with the "rescue" side of this. It's not a one man job, and isn't to be taken lightly. I've watched friends of mine freak out just body surfing. Water (being 90% of the rescue environment here) is an unpredictable monster.

Thanks for the words guys.
 
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