BROOKINGS – With its bright blue color and small, spacecraft shape, it looks like a child’s toy vehicle, but when minutes count, the Snowbulance could save your life.

That’s why the Brookings Fire Department wants to buy the conveyance, and they’ve already gotten help from the Dakota Drifters snowmobile club, said Dave Miller, who is a member of both organizations.

The Drifters and BFD hosted a poker run on Saturday and raised $2,300. The fundraiser is still open for another couple weeks, Miller said, because there’s still money to raise – a total of $8,600.

That will pay for the Snowbulance rescue unit, the skis, an ATV conversion which includes wheels, and a heater. Other options like stretchers are available.

The Lake Campbell Sportsman’s Club has donated, and Miller said more fundraising is on the horizon.

“At this point, we’re gonna reach out to some businesses and try to get some matching funds. We’re a fourth of the way there, which is a really good start after one event,” Miller said.

“We’d like to do some more fundraisers of some type,” he said. “If people have fundraising organizations looking for a good cause, this would certainly be a good one.”

Anyone wanting to donate can write out a check to the Brookings East Fire Station, at 607 20th Ave. or the Dakota Drifters at www.dakotadrifters.org. Note in the memo line it’s for the Snowbulance. Both organizations are non-profits, so any donation is tax-deductible.

“Anything helps,” Miller said.

The need is there

Miller has been on some calls that were out of the way and off the beaten path, where no ambulance could go, but the firefighters still had injured or deceased persons to bring out.

“What we have now is an open sled. That would be miserable (for injured people),” Miller said.

Sometimes getting a person out quickly “would absolutely” make the difference between life and death, he said.

“Sometimes, it would simply be a matter of dignity being able to transport bodies. Bring them out strapped to the back of an ATV, you get the job done, but ...,” he said, clearly not liking it. Sometimes the family is watching and having a covered transport is “a show of respect for the deceased,” he said.

“Just thought that there’s got to be a better way,” Miller said.

He realized a lot of firefighters and Drifters have snowmobiles and ATVs, so he went online, looking for ways they could use those options and found the Snowbulance.

“Thought this could serve many purposes. In a certain scenario, it’s invaluable,” he said.

“Got somebody that’s trapped on the interstate, we can go out and bring them back on a snowmobile or if you’ve got a nasty blizzard – which we have from time to time here – and you got a medical emergency, we could pick up (a medical specialist) from the ambulance and we can take them out to someplace they couldn’t get to, or transport somebody who’s been in an accident. Snowplow or ambulance can’t get there, we can go out and do that with a snowmobile,” Miller said.

Multiple uses

The Snowbulance is closed, with doors on the back and side for access. This protects the patient from the elements, especially wind, snow and rain. A heater and lights can be installed inside.

Miller also envisions the snowbulance being more of a packhorse, transporting equipment.

“If you had a situation out in the middle of the lake: someone falls or a car goes through, we’ve got to get equipment out there. This would be a spectacular way to be able to load everything we need in there and pull it out onto the lake. It could serve as a warming shelter. It just has many options,” Miller said.

And not just in cold weather.

“Use it year-round for any situation,” he said, adding the skis could be switched out for wheels and the Snowbulance could go where other vehicles can’t.

“If you’ve got a farmer out in the middle of a field, a place you can’t get to; again, we can hook an ATV on it and get it out there, transport equipment,” Miller said.

“So I see many uses for that. It’s just a tool for us to be able to help in times of emergency,” he added.

He also had some fun ideas for the unique looking machine.

“It could be a fun thing, too. Put the wheels on it and pull it through the Hobo Day parade,” Miller suggested.

“My hope would be, we raise the funds for this and never use it,” he said, but he knows that wish will probably not come true.

Years ago, the Dakota Drifters bought the BFD’s very first Jaws of Life, “and look at how often do we use them now,” Miller said.

“They like to support our cause and appreciate what we do,” Miller said of the Drifters. “Just thrilled with the Dakota Drifters and how excited they get about this. They’re very, very supportive. Great group.”

Contact Jodelle Greiner at jgreiner@brookingsregister.com.