TIERS is raising funds toward the purchase of--or seeking the donation of--an ATV to be able to transport our rescue trailer to the scene of an accident or medical emergency of any type where the patient is located in rough or remote terrain inaccessible by full-size vehicles.

The Rescue Trailer--donated by The Rivergate Wheelers ATV Club of Clayton--is designed primarily for use on ATV and snowmobile trails that criss-cross the area, but can also be used for rescues on remote areas of farms, on cross-country ski trails, or of hunters would may be injured in deep woods. The Rescue Trailer would be towed by a car or truck to a staging area, then hooked to either an ATV or a snowmobile, transported to the incident scene with medical personnel on board, then transport the patient to a waiting ambulance.

The Rescue Trailer carries a complement of emergency medical equipment, extrication equipment, emergency oxygen, a cardiac monitor/defibrillator, and a full-size padded patient stretcher. There is also room on board for more equipment to be taken from the responding ambulance.

The secondary use of the Rescue Trailer is for an outside event with a large crowd, like Clayton's fireworks display, Cape Vincent’s French Festival or the Alexandria Bay Pirates Weekend. The trailer has also been used at the Jefferson County Fair. Here the rescue trailer would be towed by an ATV --on lawns or on sidewalks if needed--to reach a downed person much more quickly than a full-sized vehicle could be safely moved through a crowded street. The patient is stabilized, then loaded onto a stretcher and taken to a waiting ambulance for further treatment and transport to a hospital.

The trailer can also be used for emergency medical response in case of a major blizzard or other type of natural disaster where roads may be impassable to full-size vehicles, especially rural roads.

To be at full strength, TIERS needs to add an ATV to be able to respond the trailer without having to spend time locating a tow vehicle from either the Rivergate Wheelers ATV Club, the Thousand Islands Snowmobile Club, or a TIERS or fire department member.

We have raised funds through various projects toward the purchase of an ATV, and are looking into other sources as well. TIERS is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so we can provide documentation of any donations--including the donation of a new or used ATV--for donations credit on your IRS tax return. In the case of a donation of an actual ATV, funds raised so far would be used for other Rescue Trailer projects, such as a pair of skis for winter use, or a portable GPS receiver to be able to find the accident location, pinpoint the location for additional help, or to provide exact landing coordinates for a helicopter rescue.

Thank you in advance for your thoughtfulness toward helping us with our mission.