LANE — Smoke billows into the air on the horizon. Flames crawl across the rough terrain of the county where big trucks can’t easily travel.

Areas of rough terrain can impede emergency personnel from doing there jobs. But with some help, one rural fire department’s fire-fighting efforts keep rolling.

LANE — Smoke billows into the air on the horizon. Flames crawl across the rough terrain of the county where big trucks can’t easily travel.

Areas of rough terrain can impede emergency personnel from doing there jobs. But with some help, one rural fire department’s fire-fighting efforts keep rolling.

The Pottawatomie Township Fire Department, stationed in Lane, has taken advantage of a program that allows it the use of a brand new all-terrain vehicle for fire-fighting purposes. The side-by-side vehicle, called a Mule, is on loan from 3-2-1 Kawaski in El Dorado. The business allows eligible law enforcement and fire departments to borrow side-by-sides and personal watercraft for use in response to emergency situations.

The Kawasaki loan program has been an asset to the Pottawatomie Fire Department, James Savage, the department’s chief, said. Now on its second Mule, the department is able to keep the vehicle for 90 days, then trade it in for a new one.

“Excellent program, I’m a true believer in this program,” Savage said.

With 27 members on the fire department, Savage said having the ability to get personnel into and out of rough terrain is invaluable, especially when fighting a fire could require firefighters to be spread over a large area.

“So many times we’re on a fire scene, and it may be a long protracted fire. And I could have personnel scattered over a mile or more of very rough terrain,” he said. “[The vehicles] navigate rough terrain fairly well and still are able to haul some equipment to and from. And it’s mostly from, because those guys are worn out after.”

With this past summer’s high fire threat, the four-seat 2012 Mule 4010 — worth more than $10,000 — was used to transport personnel and equipment on a regular basis, the chief said.

The loan program started about 15 years ago, Kristen Luinstra, of 3-2-1 Kawasaki, said, when law enforcement wanted to use side-by-sides in search-and-rescue missions. 3-2-1 Kawasaki helped encourage Kawasaki to begin the program, and the El Dorado company now sends out between 10 and 15 vehicles a month, Luinstra said.

“So Kawasaki started allowing side-by-sides to go out for search-and-rescue to FBI, KBI, places like that,” she said.

For a $125 loan fee, fire and police departments, as well as churches and other nonprofit organizations, can drive away with a brand new machine, Luinstra said. After 90 days, the group can choose to continue with the program or stop it. Organizations are required to pay for any damages to the vehicles, but Luinstra said, the company hasn’t had a problem with machines being damaged.

Agencies and organizations can call 3-2-1 Kawasaki at (316) 321-7433 to see if they are eligible for the program. The company then contacts Kawasaki directly. The loan program also carries with it advantages for private consumers looking for a side-by-side, Luinstra said.

“The cool thing about the loan program, though, is Kawasaki offers a discount ... when we get these back and they’re slightly used,” she said. “The consumer still gets to buy them as a brand-new product, so they still have a full-factory warranty. But they do get a discounted rate on the product.”