The Salter Path Fire & EMS Department in North Carolina equipped a Polaris RANGER 6×6 for beach patrol, emergency response and off-road patient transport. The six-wheel utility vehicle carries a KIMTEK MEDLITE rescue skid in its cargo bed, creating a compact rescue vehicle capable of reaching areas that can be difficult to access with a conventional ambulance.
The project is a good example of why the early Polaris RANGER 6×6 became a useful platform for fire departments and emergency medical services. Its six-wheel drivetrain, substantial cargo capacity and relatively narrow footprint allowed it to carry equipment across sand, trails and other challenging terrain.
Polaris RANGER 6×6 Beach Rescue Vehicle
For its beach-rescue conversion, Salter Path Fire & EMS installed a KIMTEK MEDLITE Emergency Medical Rescue skid unit in the RANGER’s rear cargo area. The removable aluminum assembly was designed to transform a utility vehicle into an off-road patient-transport platform without requiring a permanent ambulance-style body.
The arrangement provides space for a patient, an EMS attendant and essential medical equipment. Keeping the patient and attendant together allows care to continue while the RANGER transports them from the beach or another remote location to a waiting ambulance.
KIMTEK MEDLITE Rescue Skid
The MEDLITE Transport was developed by firefighters and emergency medical technicians for use by public-safety agencies. Its aluminum construction helps resist corrosion—an especially important consideration for a vehicle operating around saltwater and coastal sand.
MEDLITE Transport Features
- Capacity for one patient and one EMS attendant
- Mounting provisions for a long backboard
- Adjustable attendant seat with a safety belt
- Approximately nine cubic feet of enclosed equipment storage
- Retractable IV pole
- Space for medical bags, trauma supplies and oxygen equipment
The attendant seat rolls along guide rails and can be secured in several positions. This allows responders to adjust the working area based on the patient, equipment and type of emergency.
The MEDLITE Transport Deluxe added a slide-out storage tray, a holder for a standard D-size oxygen cylinder and a third attendant rail.
Why a Six-Wheel UTV Works for Beach Rescue
A beach-response vehicle must travel over loose sand while carrying responders, medical equipment and potentially an injured patient. The RANGER’s six-wheel layout spreads the load across a larger contact area than a conventional four-wheel utility vehicle while providing additional driven-wheel traction.
The compact RANGER can also maneuver around beach access points and crowded recreation areas where a full-size emergency vehicle may be difficult to operate. Once the patient reaches an established access point, responders can transfer them to a conventional ambulance for continued treatment and transportation.
An Early Emergency-Response UTV
Utility side-by-sides are now common in fire, EMS, search-and-rescue and event-support fleets, but conversions like the Salter Path RANGER demonstrate how agencies were already adapting UTVs for specialized response work during the platform’s early years.
The combination of a work-focused Polaris RANGER 6×6 and a removable medical skid gave the department a practical way to reach patients, provide care and move them across terrain that could delay a conventional emergency vehicle.
Learn more about the machine behind this conversion in our 2006 Polaris RANGER 6×6 700 specifications and history, or explore the broader Polaris RANGER model guide.
