Two Benton County cities have purchased equipment to make walking the area’s trail system safer.
Bentonville and Rogers officials purchased ATVs modified to handle medical emergencies and fires in areas too restricted for regular vehicles to reach, authorities said.
Construction of the Northwest Arkansas Razorback Regional Greenway, a 36-mile trail system connecting Fayetteville to Bentonville, spurred the decisions to purchase the emergency response vehicles.
“We have what’s called an operation management plan being drafted and looked at by each city,” said John McLarty with the Northwest Arkansas Regional Planning Commission. “Part of the agreement, for instance, would be to keep the grass mowed. Each city will have the responsibility to keep the operations and maintenance consistent throughout the whole trail.”
McLarty said he doesn’t know what other cities’ plans are regarding emergency response along the trail because agreements among the cities have not been finalized.
Bentonville and Rogers each have approximately 24 miles in their trail systems, but not all of the trails inside the cities are part of the Greenway, officials from each city said.
The Bentonville Fire Department has had a trail responder, dubbed Special Response Vehicle 1, since Jan. 1, 2011, according to Fire Chief Brent Boydston.
The vehicle is a Polaris all-terrain vehicle modified with an ambulance-type shell, and heating and air conditioning.
“It’s not a full-blown ambulance,” Boydston said. “It carries oxygen, a heart monitor, a stretcher and emergency equipment. Yeah, it’s got air conditioning and a heater, but it’s not made to take people to the hospital. It’s made to get people from an area that’s not accessible by ambulance to an ambulance.”
The vehicle is an active part of the department’s rolling equipment, Boydston said.
“We used it to haul one or two from the half-marathon. We’ll use it 20 to 25 times a year,” Boydston said. “A lot of times, we’re on standby. The other night at the fireworks display, kids were all around it. It looks like it’s for display, but it’s equipped to do a job.”
“One for fires is ordered and we’re waiting to get it,” Boydston said. “It will also haul a patient in the back, but it’s primarily for brush and grass fires in hard-to-access areas.”
The vehicle on order will be road-ready.
“The trail around Bella Vista Lake is part of the Bentonville trail system, but that’s a little far for us to go on-road,” Boydston said. “The vehicle is licensed for on-road use, but we’re getting a trailer delivered with the new unit. We’ll be able to load (patients) and take them to a wider range of places.”
Bentonville’s rig cost about $56,000 and was partially paid for by an Arkansas Trauma System grant, according to Boydston.
Rogers’ trail rescue vehicle is also a Polaris six-wheeler costing about $20,000 with modifications and equipment, said Tom Jenkins, Rogers fire chief.
The Rogers vehicle is a stripped-down version of Bentonville’s ambulance unit. The Rogers department uses their vehicle both to transport patients and to put out fires.
“We keep (the rescue vehicle) on a trailer because we’ve got trails all over the place,” Jenkins said.
Jenkins said the rescue vehicle is great for public relations.
“We had it at the LPGA and some of the downtown events. It’s great to use to maneuver through crowds. Not a lot of people know about it, so it’s kind of a novelty item.”
As in Bentonville, Rogers firefighters only use the trail vehicle for short-distance transports.
“It’s not designed for speed,” Jenkins said. “The only time we’d use it is when we’re in an area restricted by size and we need it to get someone to a real ambulance.”
Jenkins said the department has had the vehicle for approximately one year.
“We hope the only times we use it is for planned events,” Jenkins said. “But we keep it on a trailer and ready to hook up and take off.”
Fast Facts
Tips For Hiking
- Wear appropriate clothing
- Pack water and extra food
- Let someone know plans, the trail section to be hiked and expected return time
- Stay on the trail; do not wander off footpath
- Leave all gates and barways as found
- Keep dog under control
- Pick up litter found on the trail
Source: Staff Report