4 Wheel Drive Zone

The auto industry has been one of the industries concerned for human welfare. In cases of emergency, car companies are always ready to give a helping hand. In the recent hurricane that ravaged parts of Florida, the Chrysler Group immediately extended their help and the use of their off-road vehicles to bring needed supplies to victims in the area.

It can also be remembered that Hummer has made available a number of their tough and powerful vehicles for the Red Cross to use. In addition to that, Hummer owners are also given lectures on how to use their vehicle’s off-road driving capabilities to use in cases of natural disasters when mobility of common vehicles are limited.

Recently, another player in the auto industry has lent a hand in developing a vehicle solely for the purpose of emergency response to hard to reach areas.

The Rhino Off-Road Industries recently announced that they have formed a partnership with the Arizona Emergency Products to develop a vehicle that can tackle rough terrain to get to areas where medical help is needed in cases of natural disasters. The Rhino Off-Road Industries is a producer of reliable RTVs or rough terrain vehicles while Arizona Emergency Products is one of the major providers of emergency equipments to government agencies.

The partnership between the two outfits aims to develop a “Rapid Response” Rough Terrain Vehicle or RR/RTV®. The joint effort will hope to create a vehicle for emergency purposes based on Rhino Off-Road’s RTV which is currently being produced for recreational and competition off-road driving.

The current design of Rhino Off-Road’s RTV makes it one of the toughest off-road vehicles today. Few modifications would have to be made though to make it suitable for emergency response duties. Currently, the off-road vehicle manufacturer looks to increase the wheelbase of the vehicle in order for it to carry addition al passengers or equipments. Batteries are also being looked into for the new vehicle should use a more powerful battery pack since it needs to power high output lights and communication equipments. Space for cargoes and other necessary baggage should also be increased to have room for medical kits, tool boxes and other necessary items.

Mike Chamberlain, the owner of the Arizona Emergency Products, has this to say about Rhino Of-Road’s RTV: “The Rhino Off-Road RTV is unlike any other vehicle now in use by the emergency response industry. It’s designed to go anywhere and when outfitted to meet the needs of firefighters, police, border patrol, and others – it will allow for rapid response access to areas previously only accessible by horse, foot or helicopter.”

Meanwhile, Howard Pearl, the President and the Chief Executive Officer of Rhino Off-Road have this to say: “Mike Chamberlain and AEP have brought a tremendous amount of expertise to the design table. We created the RTV to go just about anywhere. The fundamental design platform is ideal for first responders needing access to backcountry and off-road terrains. The strategic alliance with AEP allows us to learn directly from professionals in emergency response who use this vehicle in search and rescue and rapid response situations. ROI and AEP are creating a specialized RTV that will carry emergency personnel and equipment to and from the most remote locations. This is a fantastic application for the RTV and is a growing, untapped market. You can’t imagine how excited we are to be making a contribution in this important market space - this is the type of opportunity for growth we are constantly seeking.”

Under the partnership, the Rhino Off-Road Industries and the Arizona Emergency Products will share the cost in the development of the vehicle. After the development of the vehicles, Rhino Off-Road will provide the vehicle to consumers while Arizona Emergency Products will provide the necessary equipments. This partnership is really bent on the development of an emergency response off-road vehicle and not even a Chevy EBC brake can stop the joint venture from pushing through.