ANDOVER, NH — March 9th — In the power line area near the top of Tucker Mountain Road in East Andover, members of Andover, NH Emergency Services trained drivers using the department's Utility 1 off-road UTV. The tracked rescue vehicle's safe operation in distant and difficult terrain was the main emphasis of the training. The drill came after the Franklin and Tilton-Northfield fire departments' recent mutual aid response to a snowmobile accident.

Reaching the patient required off-road access because the crash area was roughly 1.5 miles from the main road. Andover's Utility 1 helped move patients and first responders from the scene to the road during that incident. UTVs are frequently used by rural departments to respond to crises on trails, wooded areas, and snow-covered terrain.