Chief Brian Jackvony and the Marion Fire Department would like to express their gratitude to the Marion EMT Association for its donation of a utility terrain vehicle (UTV) and trailer that will be used by the department for off-road search and rescue missions.
The 2023 Polaris Ranger UTV will assist first responders in finding and reaching people who are injured in wooded areas and on rural trails and locations where ambulances are unable to travel. The UTV will also be used to transport patients from those scenes.
The donation also included a medical skid unit to attach to the rear of the UTV, a Stokes litter (rescue basket) and other accessories needed to care for a patient. In total, the equipment donation was worth over $32,000.
Since receiving the equipment, Marion Fire/EMS members have received online and in-person training for operating the UTV.
“Any time the department receives a donation like this, we are incredibly grateful,” Chief Jackvony said. “We’ve always had a great working relationship with the Marion EMT Association, and this is further evidence of that.”
The Marion EMT Association was established in 1980 with funds bequeathed to the town’s ambulance operations by a late Marion resident. The purpose of the charity was to help improve the prehospital care of Marion residents using funds that were not available through the town budget.
The 501(c)(3) nonprofit has purchased dozens of pieces of equipment in the past four decades to assist Marion ambulance crews in their on-scene treatment of patients. Donated equipment has included heart monitors, defibrillators, stretchers, radios and stair-chairs.
“An increasing number of calls involve off-road searches and rescues,” Chief Jackvony said. “The UTV allows us to improve our response to those calls. Our goal always is to reach patients as quickly as possible, which is often critical in these situations, and the UTV means we’ll be able to get to the scene and begin treating the patient sooner.”
Anyone interested in donating to the Marion EMT Association may send their donation to: Marion EMT Association, c/o Joan C. Wing, 651 Point Road, Marion, MA 02738.