METHUEN Mayor Stephen Zanni and Chief Joseph E. Solomon are pleased to announce that
the Methuen Police Department completed a rescue sled training this month.
Throughout the month of March, all members of the Methuen Police Department participated in four
hours of Med Sled training, where officers learned how to work as a team to remove victims of a
mass casualty or active shooter situation and load patients safely onto portable rescue sleds.
Med Sleds, developed by ARC Products, were created in response to a growing need for a viable,
costeffective and efficient transport system for evacuating nonambulatory patients to ensure that
no one is left behind. The sleds are designed to let first responders move quickly to secure
patients and evacuate them safer and more quickly than other devices.
“The Methuen Police Department has always made sure that officers have the most uptodate tools to
do their job efficiently and effectively,” Mayor Zanni said. “These new sleds will allow them to
improve their ability to rescue patients that may be unable to walk or move.”
Methuen Police purchased 10 Med Sled Tactical Rescue Sleds, which are six inches shorter in width
than the standard Med Sled, allowing for easy deployment and rapid evacuation as well as giving the
occupant the freedom to use their hands, if able, during an evacuation.
“We want our officers to be prepared to respond to any kind of emergency, and this training
provided them with the skills and resources they need to easily transport nonambulatory victims,”
Chief Solomon said. “While we hope we won’t have to use these new sleds very often,
our officers will be equipped to save more lives with this new training.”
The new rescue sleds will be placed in all primary patrol SUVs and will be available to all patrol
officers on the street in the event of a mass casualty situation. For more information about Med
Sleds, visit the website.
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