Southern Arizona now has a new tool to help paramedics responding to major accidents or emergencies with a large number of victims.

Handling multi-casualty incidents can be a tough assignment for first responders with limited resources. “A simple rescue truck or a simple ambulance isn’t able to handle more than one or two patients with the equipment they have on board,” says Sonoita-Elgin Fire District Batallion Chief Kevin Venos.

But the Sonoita-Elgin Fire District now has a new, valuable tool. On the outside it may not look like much, just a simple trailer with some logos slapped on the side, but it’s what’s on the inside that counts – a slew of medical equipment including spine boards, oxygen tanks, and I-V supplies to help Emergency Medical Services handle up to 15 injured patients.

“They just have to come up, rip off the Velcro and pull out a backboard,” says Venos. “This trailer is available for all three counties – Pima, Santa Cruz and Cochise, because we’re centrally located and we can pretty much get to wherever.”

When a call comes in the trailer hooks up to a truck, and EMS says it takes just about one minute to get everything hitched up and ready to go. The trailer is a welcome addition after the district had a string of six months with four multi-casualty incidents. “This end of the county is really understaffed, underserved,” says Venos. That was underscored in April when a van rolled on I-10 east of Tucson.

The next time a major accident happens in the area, patients will benefit from a quicker response time and paramedics will benefit from the increased resources. The multi-casualty trailer and it’s supplies were purchased through $8,200 in grants and donations.