Proposed Rescue-2 Vehicle

FAQS

 

 

Why do you need another vehicle? Don't you already have many?

St. John Rescue currently maintains two vehicles:

 

Rescue-2 desperately needs replacing. Rescue-2 (seen below) has numerous on-going mechanical problems and is no longer reliable enough to be a first-response vehicle. Much money, volunteer time, equipment and supplies have been expended to keep Rescue-2 on the road. STJ Rescue needs to replace the vehicle as soon as possible. Lives are at stake.

 

 

                         Rescue-2 today                                                         Rescue-1

 

Why do you need to transport people like an ambulance?

There are a growing number of incidents we respond to where immediate transport and just a few minutes can (and have) saved lives. St. John Rescue should be able to transport people for three reasons:

 

  1. Our government EMS has no permanent presence on the eastern half of the island and it takes the ambulance at least 30 minutes to get to Coral Bay, never mind beyond Coral Bay. They simply can't get there as quickly as we can.
  2. A well-equipped transport vehicle lets us work on the patient during transport more safely. Volunteer members have been known to use their own vehicles if necessary – but there are risks to both patient and first responders when doing this.
  3. As St. John Rescue has grown and matured, we now have an active, well-trained squad residing on the eastern side of St. John and we can react fast.
 

 Isn’t that EMS’s Job?

Yes and no. The government infrastructure on St. John has not grown as fast as the community itself has. St. John Rescue Inc. is an all-volunteer organization that was chartered in 1996 to, in part, provide emergency rescue and medical support services to the St. John's EMS, Police, Fire, National Park and Health Clinic. Some of our volunteer members are also members of the VI Fire Department or EMS, but all volunteer simply as private citizens who care about our community. We receive our direction from 911 dispatch for St. John.

 

When the government EMS staff is responding to an emergency on the north shore, they cannot also respond timely to an emergency on the East End. That’s where St. John Rescue’s volunteers can and do come into play. We assist the govenment agencies.

 

Is transport the sole purpose of a Rescue-2 vehicle?

Absolutely not. We will only transport if waiting for the government ambulance is unsafe. A transport vehicle like Rescue-2 is an extremely valuable resource and will be used:        

-          As the first responding vehicle for the eastern half of St. John, including Coral Bay and the east end. We will keep the vehicle in Coral Bay for fast response. Rescue volunteers live within 2 minutes access.

-          As a mobile incident command center where rugged narrow roadways/terrain preclude the use of the much larger Rescue-1 vehicle

-          For community service events where a small multi-purpose vehicle is best suited, e.g. parades, 8 Tuff Miles Road Race, triathalons. 

 

Why Buy a New Vehicle vs. Used Vehicle –

Based on our experiences with our current Rescue-2 used vehicle, and the original donated and original and aged Rescue-2 Chevy Blazer (which was our aged Rescue-1 vehicle before that time), St. John Rescue has determined that a new vehicle with sufficient funds set aside for routine maintenance is a must. Also, we can spend our limited volunteer time training rather than constantly fixing a used vehicle and having it out of service again and again. And, it is a safer solution for us and for you.

 

We planned to purchase a new 4x4 ambulance, but discovered that it was impossible to find a 4x4 factory built vehicle. In researching after-market options for 4x4 modifications, we came upon a more cost effective solution altogether.  

 

What exactly are you planning to buy?

We are planning to buy two separate pieces of equipment – a specialized truck ‘cap’ that sits on a 4x4 pickup truck, and the 4x4 truck to house it on. This is called a modular medical transport shell.

 

The medical transport shell will look similar to the examples shown in these photos:

 

           

Below is a picture showing how the modular shell might look once attached to a pickup truck. The vehicle used in the photo below is not our chosen vehicle, but simply used to provide you with an idea of how it will look:

 

 

Is this really viable in place of an ambulance to transport patients?

It’s an excellent solution. The features that are packed into the body cap include all of those on our list of must-have features – and more. The photos below give you an idea of some of those features.

 

 

St. John Rescue’s vehicle committee has worked hard to prioritize its needs. In chosing which options were necessary and how to implement them, the group considered costs, simplicity, multi-use capabilities, and dire need. In fact, there are quite a few pre-drilled holes, hooks, clamps, etc requested for future use.

 

Where are you buying this?

There are multiple cab/camper converter companies. The leading contender right now is a company called Cargobody. The photos used in this document are from standard Cargobody caps designs specifically for emergency medical response. 

 

What kind of pickup truck will you buy?

We are planning to purchase a Ford F-350 or equivalent 4x4 vehicle with extended cab.

 

Why don’t you buy an ambulance if that’s what you need?

For two reasons. First, having a standard pickup truck will give us better options for maintenance, repairs, and resale. Second, the cap can quickly be moved to another pickup truck in an emergency. That limits the amount of time that R-2 will have to be out of service and unavailable to the community.

 

How much will it cost?

Our estimate of the cost of the vehicle, plus the medical transport shell, and related equipment is:$90,000.

 

These costs don’t include all costs to load the vehicle with gear. Much of that will come from our old R-2 vehicle and/or our storage container we maintain on Gift Hill.

 

Where will the new vehicle be housed?

The new vehicle will take the place of the existing Rescue-2 vehicle and will be housed in the same location. The covered area, on loan from the VI Government, is adjacent to the Fire Station in Coral Bay. We are looking for a more permanent home for the vehicle, although there is no immediate need to relocate it.

 

Who will own this vehicle?

The vehicle will be owned by St. John Rescue, Inc. – a a non-profit 501(3)c corporation. EIN # 66-0549890.  The all-volunteer organization will also be responsible for it’s maintenance, upkeep, etc.

 

Shouldn't the Government be providing this vehicle?

It would be wonderful if the Government could provide all of the infrastructure services and equipment that we'd like. However, it is not uncommon that a community the size of St. John must rely on a combination of government and volunteer organizations, which together provide all that the community needs. St. John Rescue Inc. cannot perform the services it does for the community without an effective transport vehicle for the eastern half of St. John.

 

When do you plan to buy this new Rescue-2 vehicle?

As soon as possible. We cannot purchase this vehicle until we have the funds to do so. The organization has already received some personal, business and community group donations earmarked specifically for a new R-2 vehicle. Funds are also being earmarked for insurance, maintenance, etc. to maximize the longevity of our equipment.

 

When can we expect to have it in place and working on St. John?

St. John Rescue Inc. hopes to be able to purchase and put the new Rescue-2 vehicle into service during this coming high tourist season.

 

How can we help?

Help us to get the word out and to get donations fast. E-mail your friends and neighbors and give them our website link: www.stjohnrescue.org 

 

St. John Rescue Inc. is always grateful for donations of time, expertise/services, equipment, tools and of course – cash. Every cent received is accounted for and used to benefit the community we live in. We are always looking for both active squad members and associate members to help us with administration.

 

To learn more about how you can help, go to:  http://www.stjohnrescue.org/Assist.htm