Fire department asking public to help with new ATV

The Highlands East Volunteer Fire Department Station 3 is asking for the public’s help raising money for new equipment.

Based in Gooderham, the fire department is aiming to raise $25,000 to buy a new rescue side by side, rescue stokes basket, winch and emergency lighting for the side by side.

In an interview with the MyHaliburtonNow.com newsroom, District Chief of Station three Brian Horner said they use an ATV for off-road rescues and places that their larger vehicles cannot enter. “This summer alone we did five rescues in the bush,” said Horner

Horner said that they have a lot of ATV races in the area and having their own ATV is handy for getting to them quickly if there’s an emergency, “We currently have a sleigh that we have behind the ATV that we use to rescue people which isn’t the best, so we want to raise money for a new side by side.”

This new side by side will operate as a three-seat ATV that will have a backboard and according to Horner, will be more efficient when rescuing people.

The GoFundMe campaign started the Sunday before Halloween when the fire department was broken into and some of their valuables stolen. “Someone stole our ATV, which we found later in the bush, the Halloween candy that we were going to give to the kids and all of the food we had stored in our fridges,” said Horner.

If you are interested in contributing to the GoFundMe campaign you can do so here.