Saskatoon Search and Rescue unveil new vehicle

Saskatoon Search and Rescue unveiled a brand new vehicle on Tuesday that will help them conduct searches for missing people more effectively.

The specialized Ford F-150 truck is a huge upgrade compared to the volunteer group’s former vehicles, according to vice president Kent Orosz.

“We actually ran into situations where we didn’t have a vehicle to pull our command post to a search,” Orosz said.

Some of the vehicle’s many features. (Logan Stein/650 CKOM)

“It’s great to have all our gear in the same location. Before it was distributed in some storage rooms and some trailers, we couldn’t take everything before because it took up too much space.”

The truck features state of the art camera equipment, storage space, rescue gear and the ability to tow over 9,000 lbs.

“We needed the sponsors to make this a reality,” he said. “We’ve spent about $96,000 on this truck. This will help us substantially.”

It was a project a few years in the making, with initial plans for the vehicle starting in 2018.

The truck has already been used in three searches: two within the city of Saskatoon and one in another community.