Frequently utilized and always borrowed, Bar Harbor Fire Department will now have its own utility vehicle for more challenging responses.
Sep 16, 2026
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Birch Bay Retirement Village.
BAR HARBOR—On July 4, 2026, just after the fireworks had ended, an older man fell off the seawall of Bar Harbor’s Shore Path and suffered a head injury. Navigating through the celebrants and slow moving vehicles slowed the ambulance response.
However, call firefighter Matt Horton and a paramedic were able to get to the scene more quickly than the ambulance because they were both in a utility vehicle (UTV) that had been borrowed from the Southwest Harbor Fire Department for the day to be stationed along the parade route in case of an in town emergency during the Fourth of July parade.
According to Horton, who has been a Bar Harbor Fire Department call member for over 30 years, responding to an emergency in town on the holiday in an ambulance or fire truck can be a tricky situation because having your lights and siren on makes you no different than a parade participant and many assume that’s the case during a real emergency. That’s just an additional challenge on top of the vast amount of people in the area on the holiday.
But now, the Bar Harbor Fire Department will have its own UTV thanks to the Bar Harbor Firefighters Association (BHFFA).
“Our role is to support the fire department, not to subvert them and give them things that they don’t want, but we have the flexibility . . . Sometimes things pop up that, they are outside the budget cycle, and it’s something that we really ought to have right now because of the situation. That’s where the fire association can step in. Usually it’s not big ticket items,” Horton said.
“If we can do something that’s for the public good and get it done,” we will, Horton explained.
A more typical BHFFA purchase for the fire department would be something like the electric vehicle fire suppression blanket that it purchased for the department in 2023.
Horton said that the BHFFA’s thinking was that as much as other towns have utilized their machines lately, it might be a good idea that the Town of Bar Harbor should have one.
Bar Harbor has a lot of rural territory, the national park, and “people get hurt in the darnedest places,” Horton said. “The thought was, why don’t we get one?”
There have been recent examples other than the July 4 call.
On Friday, August 15, 2025, Peter Beckett was riding his bicycle on the carriage roads in Acadia National Park when he spotted white smoke in the area of Gilmore Meadow at approximately 7:30 p.m. Beckett reported being able to see and smell smoke to the park service and response from local fire departments started.
At approximately 9:50 p.m., radio traffic indicated that fire crews had found an approximate 20-feet by 30-feet area that was mostly smoldering.
Shortly after 10 p.m., firefighters began laying forestry house (approximately 700-feet) from Bar Harbor’s Engine 3 to reach the smoldering area and at 11:02 p.m., according to radio traffic.
This fire, that had the potential to turn into a full blown wildfire given the conditions of the year, had the advantage of being fairly close to a carriage road that was accessible by a smaller engine. Still, that engine could not turn around and when firefighters were done fighting the fire, it had to be driven along the carriage road to the main road near Parkman Mountain.
Additional manpower and gear to fight this fire were shuttled from the Eagle Lake Boat Ramp staging area to the fire utilizing Southwest Harbor’s UTV.
Bar Harbor will no longer have to borrow a UTV from another town or wait for another town’s vehicle to be transported to a scene and utilized under the communities’ mutual aid agreements which often come into play with fires of all kinds in Hancock County.
Bar Harbor’s UTV will be a Polaris four door with a flat bed on the rear made specifically for government use. These vehicles can be outfitted with many options for fire fighting or rescue and patient transport.
The UTV that has been purchased by the BHFFA will have a full range of emergency response lighting and scene lighting. It will also be outfitted with required equipment to make it road legal so that it can be driven short distances on public ways if necessary.
The BHFFA is also purchasing a trailer for the UTV to be transported for longer distances to emergency scenes.
Horton said that it’s kind of a wish list item that would be nice to have but often times, the fire chief has to focus on more essential items in regards to the budget.
“The whole objective is to get something to add to the public safety capabilities of the town with minimal impact, if not any impact, on the taxpayer,” said Horton.
The impacts of the machine can range from a quick response assessment in remote areas to transporting manpower and supplies such as hoses, portable water pumps, patients, or food and water for firefighters who are a long way from a staging area.
Delivery will occur 90-180 days after the UTV is ordered which has already occurred. Once the vehicle has been delivered and the administrative necessities have been taken care of, the BHFFA will gift the UTV to the town.
At its September 15 meeting the Bar Harbor Town Council unanimously voted to accept the donation of the UTV from the BHFFA.
MORE ABOUT THE BAR HARBOR FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION”
From Matt Horton:
“The Bar Harbor Firefighters Association (BHFFA) was established in 2015, succeeding the Bar Harbor Firemen’s Relief Fund, which dates back to 1881. The name change reflected the organization’s evolving purpose.
“The Relief Fund originally supported firefighters injured in the line of duty at a time when volunteer firefighters, serving before fire services became part of municipal government in the Town of Eden, later renamed Bar Harbor, maintained workers’ compensation and town-sponsored health insurance. Today, Town of Bar Harbor call and career firefighters receive those benefits, reducing the need for a traditional relief fund. Accordingly, the organization was renamed and refocused in 2015 to support the Bar Harbor Fire Department.
“Captain Sheldon F. Goldthwait was instrumental in forming the BHFFA, and both the association and department remain deeply grateful for his past dedication. His past support continues to be an important part of his legacy of service to Bar Harbor and the MDI community.”
Our Mission:
“To advance the mission of the Bar Harbor Fire Department by providing supplemental equipment, training, and support as requested, helping strengthen public safety operations and service to our community.
“BHFFA is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization governed by comprehensive bylaws and spending policies. An independent auditor prepares and files the association’s required annual tax and organizational documents. The organization is overseen by its board of directors and, ultimately, by BHFFA members. Any current or former fire department member in good standing is eligible for membership. BHFFA operates independently and is not affiliated with the municipal government of Bar Harbor.”
Current Board Members:
- Jai Higgins, President. Retired Fire Captain, BHFD Over 30 years of service with BHFD.
- Sean Hall, Vice President. Current Firefighter/Paramedic, BHFD with over 40 years of experience with BHFD.
- Darron Collins, Secretary. Firefighter-Call member BHFD. Over 5 years of service with BHFD.
- Matthew Horton, Treasurer. Lieutenant Firefighter-Call Member BHFD. Over 30 years of service with BHFD.
- Basil Mahaney, Member. Assistant Fire Chief-Firefighter-Paramedic. Over 20 years of service with BHFD and MDFD; NEH Ambulance Service.
The fund raising committee for the UTV project consisted of the following people.
- Matt Horton
- Darron Collins
- Andy Shea
- Jill Goldthwait
- Basil Mahaney
How to Help:
“The UTV and trailer are already funded but the BHFFA is always accepting donations. Any additional donations received towards the UTV will most likely be used for firefighting/rescue add-on accessories.
“You can also make a general donation to the BHFFA if you wish and any donations should clearly state if they are general or UTV.”
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