Our new SOPs thoroughly explained our new RIT procedures and the equipment we had to have at the ready in the event a MAYDAY was declared. How we got that equipment to the building was up to us. Identifying a capability gap is an easy thing to do; it’s done every day in the sitting room of most firehouses. However, filling that gap with a viable solution is the challenge. We toyed with different methods, everything from castor wheels from our trash cans to a cut down version of a condemned ambulance stretcher, but they all proved to be problematic and inefficient. We had to come up with a solution that was simple to put into operation and fast to deploy. Being an avid kayaker, I remember while shark fishing at Assateague one summer, spotting a fellow pulling his kayak down the beach with a device made of PVC pipe and two tires. It appeared the device was binding with the kayak holding it in place while the unit rolled down the beach atop a set of tires. It was a simple concept that I felt with a few adjustments could be emulated and applied to a litter basket.

Several prototypes and months later, I came up with a device that I patented and named the TURK. The cart works by turning the Stokes basket or ladder being carried into a lever, in essence turning the whole assembly into a quasi-wheelbarrow. Two protrusions from the frame of the Turk hold the top sides of the Stokes basket (or ladder) while the bottom rests in a cradle on the kart. Lifting up on the basket simultaneously pushes the basket onto into the cradle while it is prevented from moving upward by the extrusions, thus locking the whole assembly together. If the basket is located in an apparatus compartment within 3 feet of the ground, the TURK can be attached to the basket by one person. If the basket is on the ground, one person can simple lay the TURK on the foot end of the litter basket, reach through the cradle of the TURK and lift the basket. The TURK slides down the basket and you are ready to roll. The basket can then be loaded with additional equipment and rolled to where it is needed. The tires are large enough that the whole assembly can be pulled up most sets of stairs with the assistance of a second rescuer.

The TURK also has the ability to accommodate most backboards. They are transported by flipping the unit over, then sliding the backboard into a bracket. The board is secured through the use of two pins which go through the bottom of the board, and two sliding arms which hold it in place. As with the Stoke operation, this allows one rescuer to move a patient either by pushing or pulling, although heavier patients may take two rescuers.

The obvious advantage to the TURK is that it frees up rescuers while enhancing the carrying capability and speed of a single rescuer. This is especially useful for RIT because not only is a large amount of equipment needed; it also needs to be deployed quickly. Additionally, since only one person is needed to operate the TURK, the rest of the RIT crew is not tiring themselves out before their possible deployment. The TURK is especially advantageous to departments that have the possibility of needing equipment in an area far from apparatus access. A good example of this capability involved the use of a TURK at an incident in the D.C. Metro train system in 2009. The TURK (in conjunction with a Stokes basket) was used to move 500 pounds of hydraulic rescue equipment approximately 1000 feet to the incident site. The TURK found plenty of use during the 2010 blizzards that plagued the Washington DC Metropolitan area. The Kentland VFD in Prince Georges County made use of the TURK when it was used to move equipment from Rescue Squad 33 to a house that had collapsed on an elderly female. The TURK allowed members to make one trip in 40 plus inches of snow instead of multiple, energy draining ones. This helped members, who were already passed the point of exhaustion, make quick work of the incident and allowed the injured occupant to be transported to the hospital quickly. In another incident a truck company was dispatched 2nd due to a working row house fire. Due to a narrow alley the truck was unable to position their apparatus in the rear. The members deployed the TURK sliding it over the heal end of a 24’ ladder and loaded it up with saws, hooks and irons. They were able to put all the tools and equipment they needed in the rear with one trip.

In October of 2010, Cumberland Coal of Pennsylvania, part of Alpha Natural Resources Group, requested a demonstration of the TURK in one of their mines. TURK was put through a series of tests hauling men and equipment along narrow drive belts, through crossovers and over large coal and rock spoils. The miners were impressed by its durability and ease of operation and requested several units for their mine rescue teams.

The TURK has been a welcomed device among many fire departments and mine rescue teams because it possesses two important attributes:  it’s fast and simple. The fact that firefighters continue to discover different uses for the TURK beyond the initial intention of what the device was designed to do is testimony to its simplicity. Today, watching a team deploy the RIT basket with the TURK is uplifting. However, the greatest pleasure I receive is when a firefighter or miner comes to me and says, “Hey, thanks for doing this, it makes it a lot easier.” That makes it all worthwhile.

Photo 1. The RIT basket with TURK being returned to the truck after a RIT response.

Photo 2. The TURK used in conjunction with a 24’ ladder loaded with generator and saws.

Photos 3 and 4.TURK can be folded and stored in a compartment or mounted on the apparatus.

Photo 5.TURK moving a miner in Cumberland Coal mine.

For more information on the TURK rescue cart go to: www.turkrescue.com