The Bronson Fire Department was dispatched by Branch County 911 to a wooded area northeast of the intersection of Kosmerick Road and Bawden Road in Bronson Township Saturday evening around 8:30 PM for a person who was struck in the head by a tree while cutting wood. BFD used a Ford F-250 4X4 pick-up Truck that was procured from the Michigan DNR earlier this year at no cost to transport medical equipment and personnel through a muddy field and woods to reach the patient who was approximately ⅓ of a mile from the roadway.

The truck was then used to transport the patient back to the roadway where Lifecare Ambulance received the patient. The 4X4 truck was provided under a federal surplus equipment program and was upfitted by BFD for use as a command vehicle for responding to off-road emergencies. Other BFD responding units set up a helicopter landing zone incase Lifecare medics decided to call for air transport, however was not needed as the decision was made to take the patient to Sturgis hospital via ground transport. BFD was on the scene for a half hour.