Community donations aid Fontanelle Fire and Rescue in buying a UTV

Fontanelle Fire and Rescue recently added a new Polaris utility task vehicle to its fleet, made possible through community donations.

Fire Chief Tyson Sickles said the department often cannot reach all areas with a firetruck during grass fires or controlled burns in the spring and fall.

“A grass rig carries 200 to 400 gallons of water, while a UTV is much lighter and only carries about 80 gallons,” Sickles said. “That allows us to get into soft ground, timber, ravines and other terrain we see a lot of in rural areas.”

The UTV is also equipped with a front-mounted winch that can be used in certain rescue situations. Polaris operates a government division that builds UTVs specifically for police, fire and emergency medical services agencies.

Fontanelle took delivery of the unit in late November. The vehicle cost approximately $35,000 and was displayed during the town’s Christmas celebration Saturday.

“It’s nice to have a piece of equipment where people don’t have to bring their own personal equipment — it’s all fire department-owned,” Sickles said. “We’ve been talking about this for probably 18 months. We have a great community, and that’s been especially clear since the tornadoes. They’re very supportive, and we want to put their money to good use.”

Updating equipment and vehicles is an ongoing process for the department. Late this summer, Fontanelle Rescue received a used heart monitor and defibrillator capable of sending real-time data to the hospital while a patient is being transported. That equipment was also fully funded through donations.

The department purchased two new grass rigs and battery-powered hydraulic rescue tools in 2020. While leaders are grateful for the equipment currently in service, they are developing a five- to 10-year plan for future upgrades.

“When we bought the grass rigs and the new jaws, those funds came from donations and part of our budget,” Sickles said. “Our budget is really healthy with support from the city and township funding.”

Unlike many departments, ambulance expenses come out of the fire department’s budget, creating additional challenges. Fontanelle’s ambulance will eventually need to be replaced.

“In the next three to five years, we hope to have a solid plan for what comes next,” Sickles said. “We’re in good shape with trucks right now, but at some point the ambulance is going to need to be replaced.”

Sickles said light discussion has also been held about the need for a new fire station.

“The equipment keeps getting bigger, and we’re clearly out of room,” he said. “I’ve been told it would be at least three years before we could even have a station plan in front of us.”