The Wilton Fire Department will be test-driving a new utility vehicle for the next eleven months, in hopes of raising the funds to purchase one for use by all the town’s emergency departments.

The vehicles resemble a souped-up golf cart or modified ATV and can be used to access wooded areas that normal road vehicles can’t

“There were four instances in the past year when we would have used one, had we had one,” said Fire Chief Jim Cutler during Monday’s Select Board meeting.

Two of those instances were brush fires, and two were injured hikers, said Cutler, including one instance where firefighters assisted with extracting an injured hiker at Garwin Falls, where icy conditions made things hazardous for rescue personnel. 

The department has been looking at utility vehicles that could traverse wooded or backroad areas to assist with fighting brush or forest fires, and to locate and extract lost or injured hikers. Recently, the town used a similar utility vehicle borrowed from Asplundh Tree Expert Company to transport a hiker with a broken ankle out of the woods. 

“It made a big difference,” said Police Chief Eric Olesen. 

The fire department has looked at several different models of vehicles, ranging in price from $15,000 to $18,000, as well as accessories including tracks that can be put on to better traverse snowy territory, an addition that can carry water to reach brush fires without having to haul hose through the woods, and a trailer for transport. At Monday’s Select Board meeting, however, the fire department proposed entering into a program offered by Kawasaki, where the department can use a utility vehicle for up to 11 months, while not making any payments except for routine maintenance costs.

While the agreement would be through the fire department, the vehicle would be available for all emergency services, including the police department and ambulance, and for mutual aid situations.

There are two potential ways to fund the eventual purchase of a utility vehicle for the department: The first being through grants, which the department will apply for this year. There will be three opportunities to try for grants between $15,000 and $25,000 to purchase the vehicle and accessories this year. If the department is not given grant funds, it could request funds through a warrant article at next year’s March Town Meeting.

The department would not make any purchases of accessories such as winter tracks until the town had made a final decision on whether or not to purchase the vehicle.

Cutler also clarified that the agreement with Kawasaki allowed the town to make modifications to the vehicle such as installing a red or blue light, and that if the town decided not to keep the vehicle, Kawasaki would purchase the equipment at cost when the vehicle was returned.

The Select Board was unanimous in their agreement to allow the fire department to pursue a trial period on a utility vehicle, and gave their blessing to the program.