Malden Fire Department gets new UTV funded by Bayrd Foundation

The City of Malden announced Nov. 3 that the Malden Fire Department has a new Utility Terrain Vehicle (UTV), paid for through a donation from the Adelaine Breed Bayrd Foundation.

The UTV can haul equipment and supplies to places where a fire truck or ambulance is impractical or impossible to use, and can reach patients and emergencies without the delays those larger vehicles would face. The city said more people are using Malden's bike path with battery-operated bikes and scooters, and that the higher speeds can cause more serious trauma in a crash. Reaching patients where ambulances and engines cannot go is critical in those cases.

In bad weather, the UTV can mount a plow and reach areas ahead of an ambulance when roadways are limited. It can also help with Fire Station access problems during weather emergencies.

The city also pointed to Malden's large amount of forested acreage, which can smolder and lead to fires in dry months. The UTV carries a pump, 55 gallons of water and drafting equipment that can draw water from ponds where there are no hydrants. Malden Fire can now reach areas such as Waitt's Mount, the Fellsway, Pine Banks and the bike path without taking its nearly $1 million fire apparatus into the woods.

The foundation's funds also let the department repurpose its old Public Safety Day trailer into a BiSON trailer. That trailer allows the department to support Malden firefighters when they are called to duty in other communities through mutual aid. The city said this will prevent injuries and save time when Malden's resources are committed elsewhere.

Savings from that repurposing allowed the department to buy a utility trailer to support Public Safety Day, National Night Out with the Malden Police Department, and other events. The trailer can also be used to transport training and testing equipment while keeping it safe and dry.

Source: City of Malden announcement, November 3, 2026.

Checked against the record: before publication this article was automatically compared with the original announcement.