Safety Officer's Vehicle

[Ottfire42]

Looking for recommendations............

My Department currently runs a 2005 Chev Express van as a Safety Officer's vehicle. Safety responds to all working fires and special op's calls (water rescue, technical rescue, extrication calls etc). This ONE vehicle covers 1800 sq.miles(4662 sq. km). At just over 124,000 miles(200,000 km) our vehicle is due to be replaced.
We in the division would like to see the vehicle replaced with a 4x4. The van just doesn't cut it as an emergency response vehicle. It is top heavy, doesn't like corners, and it's top speed is 85 mph (140 km/h).The speed isn't that much of a problem but the huge distance we must cover sometimes would make a faster more stable vehicle a definate plus. Finally the wheelbase is too narrow for our harsh Canadian winters. The thing basically slides all over the place in poor weather.
So my question to all my North American brothers is........what would you buy ? Must be fast. Stable. 4 wheel drive. Have good interior storage capacity. Powerful engine. Good in the snow. And the more fuel efficient the better.
That's it in a nutshell. Does such an animal exist...............???

EDIT-My apologies. I mispoke earlier. NO the vehicle need NOT go faster than 85 mph. What I should have said was that it needed to be quick. I believe I mentioned that the speed of the present vehicle is "not much of a problem". We do not operate at that speed anyway as the vehicle we have now would be unsafe to operate at that speed.
Some clarifications:
-Geographically our response area is huge. Travel from one end of the city to the other is on a 6 lane highway.
-The city refuses to add any additional Safety Officers. So the 1800sq.miles remains the domain of a single Safety Officer. This is an ongoing issue between the association and the city.
-Stability, power, 4wd and interior storage room would be the priorities.

[neiowa]

Audi or Subaru?

[RFDACM02]

The van just doesn't cut it as an emergency response vehicle. It is top heavy, doesn't like corners, and it's top speed is 85 mph (140 km/h).The speed isn't that much of a problem but the huge distance we must cover sometimes would make a faster more stable vehicle a definate plus.

Faster than 85 mph???!!! Add another station and van.

[Bones42]

Safety Officer and 85mph.....isn't that an oxymoron?

[firepiper1]

How about a fire SUV?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSiwoKCiy-s

[islandfire03]

A 4 wheel drive pick up with a rear tool body for all the equipment might make more sense. But if you really want to get there faster than 140kph ,
Maybe you need to look at a Dehaviland Otter.
Why in gods name would you want to drive that fast or faster. Your engines certainly can't respond at that speed. Remember the bigger the motor the lower the fuel mileage.

Safety officer traveling at that speed is kinda like military intelligence !

[ffmedcbk1]

Are you one of the safety officers?

I do assume that the 85 mph is on freeways that may have a speed limit at 75, is that correct?

How much/many tools do you carry? What is the weight? What else must the car do? Many would suggest a Yukon/Suburban which are good choices IMO

[CanadianFyrTrks]

I'd go with a moose, Fuel Efficient and all terrain.

Where do you call home? We've got a great 4X4 available

[nameless]

some kind of jeep? 4x4, moderate amount of room, get a v6 and you can save some gas and still have power

[nmfire]

Safety Officer and 85mph.....isn't that an oxymoron?

At least I'm not the only one that found this to be a bit strange. This sounds like a manpower problem, not a vehicle problem.

[kd7fds]

Honestly,

We are looking at a Paramedic Chase Vehicle, similar type conditions (rural Idaho) Purpose is to do ALS intercepts with BLS agencies. Some of these intercepts are one way trips of 40-60 miles. I am really pushing for a Subaru Outback.

4 wheel drive to handle winter driving conditions. It isn't going offroad, so I don't need the beefy chassis or ground clearance. Low to the ground to it is stable.

Station wagon, can hold all the gear, we checked.

Good fuel economy and good maintenance track records.

The other guys don't want it. They want an Expedition or some other SUV. It is a pure emotional response, I can tell. They don't feel like firemen driving around in a station wagon.

[SAFETEK]

I assume you are in Ottawa so what about a Chev or GMC Suburban XL (long body) in a 3/4 Ton 4x4? I don't think you can get a diesel in it and another suggestion might be a 3/4 Ton Extended Cab 4x4 and put a canopy enclosure on the box for storage and put a roll-out tray for storage of the equipment depending of course on what you want to carry.