Whether skiers, hikers or alpine dwellers, anybody who has an accident on snow-covered slopes and remote highlands rely on mountain rescue services. The first responders face the difficult challenge of mastering the dangerous terrain whilst working against the clock to get to the scene as quickly as possible. In Erzgebirge, Germany, the rescue teams of the Rittersgrün and Johanngeorgenstadt mountain guards rely on the Polaris RANGER, which has been specially adapted to transport its patients with maximum comfort in the harsh conditions.

Both mountain guards rely on the Polaris RANGER and have been using the robust and reliable RANGER XP 900 for more than a year, and more recently, added the new RANGER XP 1000 model to the Johanngeorgenstadt fleet at the beginning of 2019.

“Without the Polaris RANGER, we wouldn’t reach the scene of the accident so quickly with all of our equipment,” says Alexander Schürer, Deputy Head of Operations and Vehicle Representative at the Bergwacht Johanngeorgenstadt. “In some cases, the difference between life and death can be minutes or even seconds, and this vehicle allows us to save a tremendous amount of precious time – but that’s not the only benefit we’ve found so far; thanks to the generous load volume and the intelligent conversion measures, we have everything on board – from warming blankets to a bulky stretcher – exactly what we need for first-class care. There’s a unique through-loading function to allow effortless loading of the patient, even lying down, and we’ve already received feedback from patients that they felt comfortable with the smooth ride and heated cabin, despite the unfortunate circumstances.”

The Ranger XP 1000 used is a special conversion of Speedfactory Quadstore. The Polaris dealer from Breitenbrunn is the only company in Germany that offers this clever technology. The entire project consists of more than 100 parts specially made for the cabin on the RANGER rear bunk. The box is made entirely of aluminium and weighs only about 200 kilograms. Thanks to its intelligent frame construction, the stretcher can be quickly removed and easily stowed away. The rear wall of the RANGER cab has been reinforced by specialists from Speedfactory Quadstore. On one side, the folding seat for the paramedic is housed, and on the other side, a clever hatch has been installed, which can be folded down as needed for a flat loading area if the patient needs to lie down.

Underneath there was no need for change; the ProStar 1000 two-cylinder engine provides reliability and with 82 horsepower, it has the most powerful drive in its class and provides 83 Newton meters of torque. Paired with an industry-leading towing capacity of 1,100kg and 330mm of ground clearance, the Ranger XP 1000 delivers first-class dependability and performance when its needed most. Thanks to a tighter turning circle and precise steering, the Ranger XP 1000 masters narrow passages effortlessly and becomes the perfect companion for work, adventure and in this scenario, demanding rescue missions on rough terrain. A quick conversion from chain operation to normal wheels only takes a few minutes, making the Ranger a year-round usable vehicle.

For more information on the RANGER line-up, click here