Darlington’s Police and Fire departments roll in new vehicles
Darlington Public Safety Director Kelvin Washington with the DPD’s new Honda UTV. Photo by Samantha Lyles
By Samantha Lyles, Staff Writer, slyles@newsandpress.net
When responding to calls in flooded or confined areas, officers of the Darlington Police and Fire departments now have greater ability to access and navigate these scenes, thanks to three recently acquired utility vehicles.
Honda donated a new Big Red side-by-side UTV to the Darlington Police Department, and the Darlington Fire Department received two used Gator utility vehicles through a South Carolina Forestry Commission grant program.
Kelvin Washington, City of Darlington Public Safety Director and Chief of Police, says the used vehicles only required a little TLC to get them ready for duty.
“The guys at the Fire Department are amazing and very resourceful. They were able to go in and work on these vehicles … with a couple of guys from our office, they’ve torn them down and made repairs. Most of this free equipment has very little wrong with it, so it’s mostly body work and wiring and small repairs,” says Washington.
DFD Assistant Chief Charles Bailey with two road-ready Gator UTVs. Photo by Samantha Lyles
The 4X4 police and fire UTVs are now fully kitted-out with flashing lights, sirens, seatbelts, and all requisite safety systems to make them street-legal.
“We’re going to use them at events like parades, the Sweet Potato Festival, in search and rescue operations in places like Williamson Park and other off-road situations where we can’t take a regular vehicle in,” says DFD Assistant Chief Charles Bailey.
Washington says the Honda UTV will allow police to patrol more freely in heavy traffic, which regularly occurs during the Bojangles’ Southern 500 and all its related parades and events.
The UTV — while novel and uniquely useful — is but one example of the police department’s efforts to update its vehicle fleet. City Council authorized DPD’s acquisition of five new cars in the last fiscal year. Three of these cars went to the patrol division and two were assigned to the criminal investigation division.
Washington says DPD is working with the USDA to obtain additional patrol vehicles, which will be paid for through a federal grant program.
DPD is also working to secure new undercover vehicles through federal surplus programs, which provide used stock to law enforcement agencies for free or at a reduced cost. Unlike leased vehicles, these city-owned cars and SUVs could be altered and customized to extend their life as viable undercover units.
Photo by Samantha Lyles
Washington notes that while other departments around the nation have used the federal 1033 military surplus program to obtain large armored vehicles, his priority is getting practical rescue vehicles for situations our first responders routinely encounter. Specifically, Washington is working on getting a high water vehicle designed to ford through hazardous flood waters.
“We were not prepared last year when we had the flood down around Shoshone Drive. We did not have the kind of equipment we need to go in and do extractions and get folks out. So we’re moving toward getting equipment to help in those type situations,” says Washington.
Meanwhile, the newest patrol vehicles are already cruising the streets in Darlington, sporting a plain white paint scheme with a simple, bold logo and a few small touches that show hometown pride.
“The patrol cars have a new look. … We wanted to do something that was totally different than other jurisdictions within the county,” says Washington. “There’s graphics in the rear window that reference Darlington Raceway because it’s the most well-known thing about our city.”
Washington adds that the new vehicles are all white (rather that the old black/white/black paint jobs) because bare white vehicles are easier to resell once DPD pulls them off the line.
Be on the lookout for the new patrol cars and UTVs at the annual Darlington Car Hauler Parade, which will rumble through the Public Square just after sundown on Thursday, Aug. 29.
