ARGO Dealers Find Receptive Customers For Specially Equipped Municipal UTVs

    NEW HAMBURG, ON, September 22, 2014 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Even as the new emergency units head into the field, ODG has announced additional equipment packages tailored to municipal services.

Some ARGO dealers are already well on the road to delivering ARGO off-road solutions for municipalities. In Brantford, Ontario, Mark Atkinson of Action Auto is leading the launch of the ARGO Fire and Rescue packages in his region. These ARGO 8x8 750 HDi units are supplied with interchangeable modules to support first-responders with off-road capabilities for fire suppression, medical evacuation and crew transport.

An 18-year ARGO dealer, Atkinson has been working with emergency teams for several years while ODG developed its new standardized packages. "ARGO is world-renowned for its light amphibious vehicles," says Atkinson. "It's because they really do their homework. They connect up with the right people to collaborate with on their ideas and equipment. They don't bring anything out until it's absolutely ready to go!"

The latest equipment packages are designed to provide mobile power and tools for public works and maintenance departments. Building on ARGO's Universal Mounting System, these packages integrate with ARGO 8x8 Frontier EFI, ARGO 8x8 750 HDi, ARGO 8x8 XT and 8x8 Centaur to mobilize spraying equipment, bulk materials and various power sources to off-road work sites.

Easy to buy, easy to sell
ODG Product Manager Tom Polanic acknowledges that many of the applications covered by the new equipment packages have been in service on ARGO UTVs for many years. "Our customers have always been very creative in finding ways to get the most utilization from their ARGOs. Our goal with these packages is to simplify the customization and conversion of the vehicles from one use to another." Polanic says that ARGO consulted widely with customers and dealers to source the right components for each package. Combining the right elements into a standard module can save the time and effort required to tailor the ARGO for specialized work. "We have already worked out the engineering to apply all this equipment and to make the change-out very quick from one purpose to the next. Usually, one person can do the job in just a few minutes. And because they are sold as an ARGO product, there's no worries about warranty or future liability."

"Hands on" design with paramedics
One of the first EMS units to partner with ARGO was the REACT team in Waterloo, Ontario. REACT is a volunteer service group that supports a number of police, fire and EMS services in its region. ARGO engineers worked hands-on with REACT members to observe what they do and how they do it, then they designed the vehicle to work with them. ARGO also enlisted some of the best-known names in emergency equipment to assist in adapting their off-the-shelf systems to the ARGO modules. A pumper module providing up to 225 gallons of fire suppression material was designed around CET fire pumps. The off-road ambulance package mounts a Ferno Traverse Rescue Basket on a custom frame in the back of the unit.

"I appreciate it from my standpoint as a dealer," Atkinson says, "because I have to answer to these people - and they aren't your ordinary customer! In EMS and fire & rescue, they know what they need: they know their business and they know their equipment. I don't know more than they do. I get a lot of positive feedback, which tells me that ARGO has done their homework!"

Additional EMS features on the REACT vehicle include LED emergency flashers, storage for an O2 respirator and a defibrillator, plus 12V lighting on a stand that is also fitted with hooks for IV bags. All of these features are now supplied directly by ARGO as proven factory options.

10 years in the field
In New York State, John McGinnis of John's Body Shop and ARGO Sales was proud to deliver one of the first ARGO Fire & Rescue units to the Bridgeport Volunteer Fire Company. Like Atkinson, McGinnis has been helping to develop the ARGO for emergency service over many years. "Bridgeport got their first ARGO from me, a Conquest Anniversary Model, in 2002 - over 10 years ago," he recalls. Working with ARGO and with Chief Fred Thompson in Bridgeport, McGinnis designed a unit to carry 75 gal of water with 75 ft. of hose and a crew of four. The system can be used to resupply the back packs for front-line firefighters, or to provide them with drinking water. For additional capacity, the ARGO now has a trailer to carry another 150 gallon water tank.

Thompson and his company use the ARGO year-round in the bush country surrounding their community. The ARGO gets emergency crews onsite quickly for operations from searching for lost hunters and hikers, to ice rescues on the nearby lakes to fighting brush and grass fires in the summer.

Multi-purpose solutions for increased utilization
Atkinson sees the ARGO 8x8 750 HDi's capacity and modular design as a unique benefit for many applications. "With the Fire & Rescue modules, one person can switch it from a pumper to an ambulance in 5 minutes. It's ideal for volunteer companies with limited staff on call. But its versatility is equally practical for utility companies and consumers with an outdoor lifestyle. Everyone who buys one gets it for one purpose, then they find more jobs they can do with it."

With public works packages, utilities and parks staff are able to adapt their ARGO to seasonal needs, from spraying mosquito havens to clearing ski trails. Crews can haul as much as 3400 lbs. of supplies and materials virtually anywhere for maintenance and construction projects in remote areas. With the UMS system, the ARGO can also deliver mobile power systems such as an electrical generator, air compressor or hydraulic pump.

While the packaged modules provide valuable tools and equipment for these specialized needs, Atkinson and McGinnis agree that the ARGO's greatest value is in its basic capabilities. Atkinson explains, "The ARGO gives them a real year-round machine that can do the work of several other pieces of equipment. Its cargo capacity and pulling capability put it in a class of its own. Equipped with a set of tracks, it performs on land and water and ice and anything you can throw at it! It can take the place of a side-by-side vehicle, plus a snowmobile plus a small boat, all in one."

Safety first for first-responders
"Rough terrain is a serious obstacle for rescue workers," says Kirk Walker, the Executive Director of REACT. "It slows them down going in, and it's difficult to carry a stretcher out safely. The rough ground is also a hazard to paramedics who are carrying the stretcher."

Stability on slopes and broken ground is one of the ARGO's most respected qualities. Its low center of gravity makes it far less susceptible to rollovers, especially compared to other traditionally top-heavy vehicles. Equipment modules fit into the ARGO 8x8 750 HDi's universal mounting system that keep add-ons mounted low in the rear compartment instead of riding on top.

John McGinnis observed that... "some companies are using other vehicles that are not designed for carrying personnel in the back. They're a poor choice for stretcher service when paramedics have to perch on the back or follow along on foot."

Move fast, travel light
According to Atkinson, the ARGO is essential for fast response times in all types of off-road emergencies. The ARGO 8x8 750 HDi is easily transported by roadways on a standard trailer, or even by helicopter, then it quickly and reliably traverses the most challenging terrain to deliver life-saving workers and equipment.

The ARGO's ability to swim along with its light footprint - less than the weight of one man, even fully loaded - make it an ideal solution for ice rescues. The ARGO 8x8 750 HDi can carry a rescue crew safely on as little as two inches of ice. If the ice does give way, the ARGO keeps them afloat and allows the rescue to proceed. While floating, the ARGO is stable enough that two crew members can pull a third person out of the water over the side without tipping.

McGinnis notes that the ARGO's light step has even led it to assist in traditional firefighting. "I saw one of our units on the site of a structure fire," he reports. "They were using it to shuttle personnel and water. With its low ground pressure, the ARGO could move freely around the site and drive right over the hoses with no worry of damaging them or impeding the water flow."

In park and conservation areas, crews in an ARGO UTV can venture into environmentally sensitive zones with less impact than crews on foot.

ARGO HDi Municipal Packages

Rescue/Ambulance:
- Ferno "Traverse Rescue Advantage " Rescue Basket
- s/s frame + tie-ins
- Carabiner attachments for high angle evac
- Rear loading
- Slide-in rail mount
- IV & work light stand
- Stowage for Defibrillator/AED and First Aid supplies

Fire Suppression:
- CET pump system
- 75 gal water
- 5 gal foam additive
- 225 gal of firefighting material
- Optional trailer w/150 gal water storage

Public Works:
- Universal Mounting System (UMS)
- Hazmat/pest control sprayers & tanks
- Genset, compressor, hydraulic pump
- Welding system
- Flatdeck, cargo box, dump
- Crew seating
- Site lighting
- Amphibious 4 wheel and 8 wheel cargo trailers

About ARGO
ARGO Extreme Terrain Vehicles and custom utility packages are manufactured since 1967. ARGO markets its products to more than 300 distributors and dealers worldwide and continues to grow at a steady pace.

ARGO's unique durability, safety and versatility are driven by the renowned engineering capability of its parent company, Ontario Drive & Gear Ltd. (ODG). Since 1962, ODG has manufactured quality precision gears and transmissions.

For more information about ARGO or the new products for 2015, please contact:

Paula Barros, Marketing Manager
ARGO Amphibious UTV
220 Bergey Court,
New Hamburg, Ontario, Canada, N3A 2J5
519-662-2840 ext. 471
[email protected]
1-877-274-6288
www.ARGOutv.com

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