KIMTEK CORPORATION MEDLITE® & FIRELITE® Transports are now in use in several underground and surface mines across the United States and Canada. The mines are primarily coal mines, copper mines and salt mines.
These medical rescue and fire/rescue skid units are used for emergency rescue and fire suppression in and around mines. As the mining industry grows, emergency situations at mines are increasing more and more. Tight space patient evacuation is almost always a given when we think of mining.
Constructed of all aluminum tubing and aluminum diamond-plate for corrosive resistance the MEDLITE series offers 4 different models to choose from, starting with the entry level MTB-12 to the MTS-12 and MTD-12 that offer storage solutions up to the MTSTR-12 which carries a full wheeled ambulance cot such as a Stryker and Ferno.
Made for most of the larger UTV side by side 4×4 and 6×6 ATV’s on the market today, the MEDLITE offers a cost effective solution to patient evacuation scenarios facing many different mining situations. All the KIMTEK MEDLITE models are compact, low profile cargo bed skid units. They are easy to install and remove from the cargo bed quickly if the cargo bed is required for other purposes.
When thinking of patient evacuation in mines, much consideration needs to be given to variables such as depth of mine, type of gear required for such rescues, storage requirements for said gear and also the size of the possible victims. One important thing to consider is to note that all MEDLITES are designed to carry a patient and an attendant. This gives first rate, real time care to the patient while exiting the mine. In open mine situations, the rough terrain that can be encountered in open mining operations can be overcome by utilizing the proper UTV side by side in which to carry the MEDLITE. While the John Deere Gator 4×4 series XUV, the Polaris Ranger XP 900 or 800 and the Kawasaki Mule 4010 may do the job in open mines, the larger Polaris Ranger 6×6 or the John Deere Gator Military series 6×4 may be better suited for the open mines. Underground mines usually would require electric powered UTV’s or in some rare instances, diesel powered side by sides may be allowed.
It is our experience at KIMTEK that our FIRELITE Transport series skid units are also needed in open mines for possible wildland fires that can occur on the outside edges of the mines. FIRELITE skid units may also be needed to access remote mining equipment such as conveyors and engine power plants operating within the confines of the pit that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to reach by a full size fire truck.
One important part of the design of the FIRELITE Transport is that it can carry water, has storage for rolled fire hose, small nozzles and water bladder bags. It can carry a patient on the rescue area for patient evacuation. A Scotty Foam system can also be installed at the factory able to flow Class A foam. This double duty skid unit can offer answers and solutions to many “all risks-all hazards” situations that can be faced by an open or underground mining operation.
The FIRELITE series of skid units are offered in 4 different models for UTV side by sides, from the FIRELITE Pacer FP-12 to the mid-level FIRELITE Darley FD-12, then you have the FIRELITE FDH-12 and the FST-12. All these models can bring some serious capabilities to most any emergency medical or fire/rescue scene.
