By Rhys Baker

Clay County Emergency Medical Services recently purchased a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) to add to their fleet. Emergency Medical Services Director Alec Trembath explains how the vehicle will be used, “We use the UTV for standbys and places where crowds are gathered or areas that might be difficult for us to get to with an ambulance. With the UTV, we’re more visible. You know, they can see us coming a little bit better. Also, you know, if we were to respond, just on foot with things, we we’d have to maybe kind of pick and choose what equipment we would bring with us.”

While the vehicle helps create visibility and helps transport equipment to the scene of an emergency, the UTV also helps transport patients out of crowded places or locations an ambulance may not be able to reach. Trembath says the vehicle also has search and rescue applications, especially during inclement weather, “We’ve used it pretty often. We’re kind of in standby season now in the winter months. Unlike during football and, you know, the fair and and even the the events that they have down at the fairgrounds. We were renting one and that cost was adding up.”

The utility task vehicle was purchased using the Emergency Medical Services budget. Trembath agrees that it might not be used daily, but it is needed as the department hopes for the best but plans for the worst. He emphasized that the UTV is a long-term investment in community safety. The vehicle ensures Clay County EMS is better prepared for emergencies in hard-to-reach areas, no matter the conditions. Its versatility makes it an essential addition to its resources, particularly for public events, off-road incidents, and severe weather scenarios.