KINGFIELD — Fire Chief Fred Nichols said the newest piece of equipment acquired by the department is much needed for rescue and firefighting operations in the remote backcountry terrain serviced by the department. The versatile 2018 Can-Am Defender utility vehicle came with a hefty price tag but thanks to a trio of grants totaling $30,500, taxpayers were not left to foot the bill.

Kingfield Fire Chief Fred Nichols sits in the department’s new versatile 2018 Can-Am Defender utility vehicle. Franklin Journal photo by Dee Menear

Nichols said $20,000 was received through an anonymous grant. An additional $2,500 was received from the Maine Forest Service.

“Because Kingfield covers the unorganized territories of Freeman Township and Mt. Abram Township, we were awarded $8,000 from the Franklin County Tax-Increment Financing grant program funded by the Kibby Wind Power project,” he said.

The UTV, or side by side, is fully equipped with a removable firefighting tank system, rescue skid for transporting patients, communication gear, emergency lighting, and winch. All-terrain tracks, wheels and a trailer are also part of the package.

“We got this back in late October and have been spending the last few months getting trained to use it,” he said.

The UTV was first put to use on Jan. 27 when three Sugarloaf skiers got lost after skiing off the back of Sugarloaf in out-of-bounds territory.

Kingfield Fire Department’s new 2018 Can-Am Defender is equipped with a removable firefighting tank system for fighting remote fires.

“We intercepted the skiers within an hour of getting the call,” he said. “It went much quicker and more smoothly than this type of rescue in the past.”

Nichols said the department used to rely on firefighters and rescue personnel with snowmobiles to respond to backcountry rescues. “The problem with privately-owned equipment is that it isn’t right here at the station and you never know the condition is of what you are working with. With this, it was here, it was warm and it was ready to go.”

He said a hitch will be installed on the department’s squad truck so the UTV and trailer can be towed to scenes, further reducing the need to rely on privately-owned vehicles.

“We can be called in to use this just about anywhere since we have a mutual agreement with all of Franklin County and New Portland in Somerset County,” he added. “Even though many departments are starting to acquire these vehicles it is good to have them available for backcountry operations.”

dmenear@thefranklinjournal.com