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Mia Ruchie,
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This past December, the team at Geronimo Power’s Unbridled Solar project donated a Utility Task Vehicle (UTV) to the Robards Fire Department in Henderson County, Kentucky — a contribution aimed at strengthening the department’s ability to serve and protect the local community. In the months since, that single piece of equipment has already made a measurable difference.
The Robards Fire Department serves the Robards community and greater Henderson County, responding to everything from brush fires and medical emergencies to search operations across rural terrain. According to Fire Chief David Denton, the UTV has opened up new capabilities the department didn’t have before.
“The UTV donation has enhanced our capabilities for fire suppression and patient transport,” Chief Denton said. “The UTV can access places that our brush truck cannot. It saves time by accessing restricted areas, extinguishing fires before they could become a major problem.”
The impact goes beyond fire suppression. Chief Denton noted the department will also be able to use the UTV to transport patients injured at construction sites and farm operations, assist elderly individuals with dementia who walk away from home and are found some distance away, and reach hunters injured in the woods.
The numbers already speak for themselves. As of May, the department has responded to seven calls with the UTV — six field, grass, and tree line fires, and one report from the U.S. Navy of an emergency beacon from a downed aircraft. The UTV helped extinguish two of those fires directly and was on scene for the remaining four in case it was needed.
“With the downed aircraft report, we utilized the UTV to search several acres in a short period of time,” Chief Denton said. “This would not have been possible without the UTV.”
The donation was coordinated by Jeremy Harms, Plant Manager at Geronimo Power’s Unbridled Solar site, and Carly Dohmeyer, Community Engagement Operations Specialist, who built a strong working relationship with the department. Chief Denton and Jeremy even have an upcoming training exercise scheduled, utilizing the UTV to simulate an emergency situation at the solar site.
“Geronimo Power and Jeremy have been great to work with on this project,” Chief Denton said. “Promises were made and promises were kept.”
“When you live and work in a community like Robards, you see firsthand how much the fire department means to people out here,” said Jeremy Harms, Plant Manager at Geronimo Power. “Partnering with Chief Denton and his team on this was one of the most rewarding parts of this job. Hearing that they’ve already used the UTV on seven calls — that’s exactly why we did it.”
Unbridled Solar is a 160-megawatt solar project located in Henderson and Webster Counties, Kentucky. Since becoming operational, the project has contributed to the local economy through tax revenue, job creation, and ongoing charitable giving. The UTV donation is one example of Geronimo Power’s continued investment in the communities where it operates.
“On behalf of the Robards Fire Department, I would like to personally thank Geronimo Power for their donation,” Chief Denton said. “Without this donation, we could not afford equipment of this caliber.”
