‘Gator’ takes a bite out of time needed for Dougherty County EMS to reach patients

ALBANY – After finding out how effective a Utility Terrain Vehicle is in saving time during medical emergencies, Dougherty County Emergency Medical Service is looking to take another chomp with a Gator.

The Dougherty County Commission purchased the first specialty utility vehicle for medical use in September 2023, and it has been in service since a couple of months after that time.

Dougherty County Emergency Medical Service Director Sam Allen has requested the purchase of a second Gator.

The $30,000 UTV has a seat in back for a paramedic and room for a stretcher on which a patient can be loaded for transport.

Within a couple of months of going into service, emergency medical personnel put the first Gator into use to reach a patient at a homeless encampment in the woods, and it has been used an additional five times since it showed its value in accessing hard-to-reach patients, Allen said.

“When we got the first one, I wanted to make sure it was something we would use efficiently,” Allen said. “It has been deployed to six medical calls where we had to go into the woods and get a patient transported on to the ambulance.

“One of the things we’ve really stressed is trauma patients, getting them to the ER within the ‘golden hour.’ The Gator saves minutes, and minutes save lives.”

Prior to the arrival of the Gator, paramedics and emergency medical technicians had to carry patients who were in hard-to-reach locations to an ambulance.

After a devastating tornado touched down at the Paradise Village Mobile Home Park in Dougherty County in January 2017, paramedics were forced to carry patients over downed trees in a lengthy and exhausting operation, Allen said. The stretchers used by emergency medical personnel weigh more than 95 pounds, and with the added weight of patients, transporting them can be back-breaking work.

The Gator also has a wheeled stretcher that makes moving a patient to the UTV much easier.

After Hurricane Helene, Dougherty County dispatched its UTV to the Valdosta area to assist with transporting patients who were hard to reach due to storm debris.

The reduction in the time spent carrying patients is also easier on medical personnel. In some instances workers have had to end their careers with EMS due to back injuries, Allen said.

“Previously, we would have to put them on a backboard and take them out (using) four people,” he said.

Preventing a back injury can not only save a career, it can save the county money in medical costs that treating an injury entails. The UTV also is handy at events such as the annual Combos Marathon & Half Marathon.

A couple of weeks ago, the Gator allowed EMS personnel to reach individuals who were having difficulty due to heat at the Albany State University Homecoming parade.

The small vehicle allows emergency medical personnel to more easily reach individuals who need assistance at crowded events, Allen said. The UTV is on a trailer ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice.

“It’s going to be used at the upcoming disaster drill at the airport,” he said. “It’s been a huge plus for Dougherty County.”

The commission could vote to approve the purchase of the second UTV later this month. The county has funds available through a special-purpose local-option sales tax initiative for EMS purchases.

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