New rescue vehicle upgrade transforms stretcher safety for teams on Dartmoor

Van Guard Accessories, a Devon-based company, has worked with North Dartmoor Search and Rescue Team to adapt a roof-loading system so stretchers can be moved more safely on their vehicles.

For many years, the team stored stretchers either inside their vehicles or on roof racks. 

This often meant volunteers had to climb onto the roof of a two-metre-high Land Rover during callouts, sometimes in bad weather or darkness. 

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North Dartmoor Search and Rescue’s team wanted a method that allowed stretchers to be loaded and unloaded at ground level and reduced the need to secure equipment on the roof in windy or wet conditions.

The group has now adopted a shorter, compact version of Van Guard’s ULTILoader system, which lowers equipment to a reachable height, meaning stretchers can be taken off the roof without climbing and can be handled by one person.

North Dartmoor Search & Rescue Team’s Chairman, James Watts, said:

“The ULTILoader has revolutionised how we use our Land Rovers and stretchers. This new solution is easier to use, allowing individuals to unload a stretcher off the roof with one hand. 

“We don't have team members on the roof of the vehicle in cold, wet and windy conditions, often in the dark. To unload or load the stretcher previously required up to three people, but now it can be done safely by one person at ground level in thirty seconds.”

ABOVE: The Compact loading system brings practical safety improvements to North Dartmoor rescue vehicles (Image: NDSRT)

He added:

“There’s no more climbing up a tiny metal ladder and untying a stretcher from a roof rack. The added benefit is the weight on the Land Rovers; we’ve removed a substantial amount from the roofs, which has lowered the centre of gravity, making the vehicles nicer to drive on Devon and Dartmoor’s narrow tracks. We will be adopting the new system across all our vehicles.”

Van Guard Managing Director Emlyn Harris said:

“We know our products make a tangible difference every day, but hearing that the ULTILoader is supporting mountain rescue operations on Dartmoor is something truly special. 

“This is an application we never anticipated. The ingenuity of the North Dartmoor team’s solution shows how versatile the ULTILoader can be, even in the toughest environments.”