The Citizens Fire Company of Vintondale will add a side-by-side emergency rescue vehicle to its roster after receiving a $64,399 state grant.

The addition will help the company respond to emergencies along a 7-mile stretch of the Ghost Town Trail. Emergency responders have typically relied on a big Ford F-450 dually utility truck, “which is pretty big and hard to turn around on the trail, which is an old railroad bed approximately 10 feet wide,” said Rob Garver, Vintondale fire chief.

The grant will allow the fire company to purchase a new and nimble 2026 CanAm 6-by-6 side-by-side, outfitted with brush-fire fighting abilities including a hose line and 85-gallon water tank, a Stokes basket rescue setup, and chainsaw-carrying capability.

“It’s already ordered,” Garver said of the side-by-side that will feature an enclosed single cab with windows, heat and air conditioning for year-round use.

The need for an easier-navigating vehicle was demonstrated a few years ago, Garver said, explaining that when a special needs child got lost near the trail, the fire department lacked anything with the ability to easily traverse the terrain to conduct a search.

Garver said obtaining the side-by-side funding “was a long process” finally put on the road to success after the Local Share Account grant program was identified as a good place to apply.