Spokane County Fire District 9 has created a new type of first response vehicle for backcountry wildfires that has been in hot demand so far this summer.
The district purchased a quad utility task vehicle and outfitted it with climbing and medical equipment in addition to a backboard and Stokes basket, which are used to haul injured firefighters out of danger and to more advanced medical treatment. The Rapid Extraction Module is staffed by four people, including two firefighters trained in technical rescue and at least one paramedic.
The district created the unit because many of its officers, including Fire Chief Jack Cates, are part of incident management teams that deploy to wildfires around the region.