Tallahassee (FL) Fire Department

The Tallahassee Fire Department finds itself in a position not uncommon for many mid-sized cities. On the one hand, the city is the state capital and home to two major universities, with all the responsibility and challenges that go along with serving a fluid, event-driven population. On the other hand, the city is nestled into the corner of the Apalachicola National Forest and is responsible for providing first-responder and rescue services to areas that are often difficult to access and cannot be reached by a traditional squad car. The department could go from transporting a patient through a dense Florida State football game crowd to retrieving an injured hiker in wooded areas.

Faced with this unique set of challenges, the Tallahassee FD began looking for a vehicle that would help them perform fire and rescue services effectively in different environments that they are required to operate in. They knew they needed to find a solution to an issue that had been difficult for the department for years.

After asking how other departments were dealing with similar challenges, they discovered some had found success in outfitting off-road vehicles with the right equipment. Departments who had used properly equipped off-road vehicles in challenging rescue situations told them how the vehicles were able to get them through difficult terrain to transport injured citizens.

The Tallahassee FD leadership was so convinced that adding an off-road vehicle was a good idea that they bought not only one, but two Polaris RANGER CREW XP 1000 vehicles. Because they anticipated transporting injured citizens would be a common use for the vehicles, they had both equipped with a stokes basket for patient care. Since one was going to be used in the city proper and one was going to be stationed near the national forest, they upfitted one with the fire and rescue combination skid, which includes a water tank, hoses and foam fire suppression system.

So whether they need to maneuver through a crowd of college football fans, get out in the woods to put out an unattended campfire, or let kids try the siren and lights in a local park, the Tallahassee Fire Department is very happy they chose to add these vehicles to their fleet.