Granny’s Attic’s financial support to health-related organizations was instrumental to the fire department last week when emergency responders assisted an injured woman on the new Dockton mountain bike trails.
She had crashed about a mile down the Flying Monkey trail, deep in the woods, according to Assistant Chief Bob Larsen. En route to the scene, he decided to call the district’s Gator — an all-terrain utility vehicle equipped with specialized emergency rescue and firefighting equipment — into service. It was purchased just last year primarily with funds from a Granny’s Attic grant.
After the responders had made their way to the biker, they stabilized her and prepared her for transport via helicopter to Harborview Medical Center, Larsen said. While that process was underway, the Gator arrived, allowing personnel to drive her out of the forest instead of carry her. Moreover, Larsen said, some members of the crew were able to find a shorter way out of the woods, taking the rig cross-country instead of on the trails, providing a quicker and smoother trip out. The ambulance met them on the road, and the paramedics transported her to the nearby Dockton fire station, where the helicopter landed.
Former Chief Hank Lipe headed the district at the time the grant was awarded. He noted then it would be useful in a variety of situations: in Vashon’s parks and trail systems, for walk-in beach communities and for brush fires in the woods if hot, dry summers become normal.
“It will give us a huge expansion of our capabilities,” he said at the time.
Since the vehicle arrived at the district in the beginning of 2016, department members have been training on it and officials have created policy regarding its use. In fact, Thursday — the day of the bike crash — was the first day it was ready for district use. Larsen noted that he was thankful for it that day, and like Lipe, expects it to be useful going forward — possibly on those trails again.
“I did not realize the extent of those trails until yesterday,” he said. “There are a lot of people from off island that come to use them. I expect it will be used again.”
The bike rider was treated at Harborview and released, Larsen said.
Granny’s awarded $17,500 to VashonBePrepared to buy the Gator for the fire district; the district also contributed $5,000 and VashonBePrepared contributed $3,600.
At the time of its purchase, Lipe said the Gator was something members of the district had wanted for a long time, but financial constraints had prohibited its purchase.
The Dockton Trails opened in April and are in 40 acres of Dockton Forest that was once used as a testing ground for K2’s mountain bikes.
For nearly a year, dozens of island mountain bike enthusiasts volunteered countless hours to the project and created 3 miles of trails in the forest just off 260th Street. In total, there are six descending trails and two climbing trails for riders with skills ranging from beginner to intermediate levels. They include jumps, sharp turns and a chance to gather speed and are already popular with area mountain bikers.
