A Winnebago County fire department wants to add to its fleet of vehicles. The Town of Winchester is hoping to purchase a UTV or utility terrain vehicle to better serve its community.
Two dozen volunteer firefighters and EMS make up the Town of Winchester Fire Department. The deputy chief tells Action 2 News the department is looking to grow both in manpower and in machinery.
With nearly 40% of the town made up of farmland, marsh, and trails, the department responds to a large number of wildland fires and other remote emergencies. It was just eight days ago, the department had to battle a wildland fire that burned more than 450 acres. The department has to ask for help with emergencies in hard to reach locations.
According to Dep. Chief Tim Kempen, “The restrictions is just basically access, rough terrain, wet terrain, wooded areas, where you wouldn’t be able to get your common pickup truck through. We have the same disadvantages with our equipment.”