COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — Getting stuck on the road in a snowstorm can happen to anyone. When it happens, your first call is probably to 911 in an emergency or to roadside assistance. But what if the hero picking you up happens to be a good Samaritan in a 4x4? That can happen in Colorado.
From the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope, Colorado 4x4 Recovery and Rescue has been getting drivers out of holes for just over 11 years.
"We really aim to ease the demand on local emergency response services," said Colorado 4X4's Secretary Frank Polito.
Last year, the organization responded to 272 incidents, with 145 of those involving vehicles stuck in rocks, snow or mud, according to organization president Brant Scalan.
The team of volunteers are professionally trained in vehicle rescues and own specialized trucks for off-road situations.
"We support off road, off country, OHV rescue and recovery," said Scalan.
The rescuers focus mainly on unpaved roads, but during severe winter weather events, emergency services in Colorado Springs or El Paso County could call on them for assistance.
"A little over a year ago, we had a statewide event in El Paso County, Elbert County, Limon area. It started with heavy snowfall in the south and eventually began to overwhelm local resources. Pikes Peak Office of Emergency Management reached out to us to assist. Overall, we put about 28 people down on the ground in team and ended up running about 30 incidents in the course of about 24 hours," said Scalan.
Scalan says his team was not called to standby for this week's winter weather event, but Colorado 4x4 is ready for when city and county emergency services get stretched thin.
"It really needs to be an event where the Office of Emergency Management, the state emergency operations center has deemed there is going to be a significant risk to the community. When those events occur, that's when we get involved," said Scalan.
For those interested in getting involved, Scalan says training and ride-alongs happen once you sign up. Information sessions take place in the spring and summer, and you don't need to own a truck since rescues often require multiple helping hands in one vehicle.
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