FARMINGTON – Selectmen voted 3-1 Tuesday to accept a sport utility vehicle paid for by a federal homeland security grant. The decision came after a lengthy debate.

Chairwoman Mary Wright challenged the decision to accept the command vehicle, which would be used to respond to major incidents in Franklin and Oxford counties. She said she had received several calls from constituents who were concerned that their property taxes would be unfairly used to maintain the vehicle that would serve not only Farmington but two counties and the state in the case of a major emergency.

The possibility that the vehicle might be granted to the Farmington Fire Department was announced by Chief Terry Bell at the June 22 selectmen’s meeting. No vote was taken at that time to accept the truck.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided grant money to the state to purchase four recreational vehicles and six sport utility vehicles, to be stationed at key locations throughout the state.

The Maine Emergency Management Agency had offered the vehicle to the Fire Department, which was identified as an Incident Management Action Team. The vehicle would be outfitted with a 200-channel radio, ham radio, fax machine and computer, and would enable law enforcement, emergency medical and fire personnel to communicate with each other in the event of a major incident.

The vehicle would be called to respond to hazardous materials accidents, acts of terrorism, major wildland fires or lost person incidents. Historically, The town has not responded to hazardous materials incidents, though it would be reimbursed by the municipality to which it was responding, Bell said. They have never responded to Oxford County, he said.

But Wright’s concern was that the vehicle would cost the taxpayers money and would be used by people who would not pay for its upkeep.

“Why should the town of Farmington be responsible for (the vehicle’s) insurance and maintenance?” she asked attending public safety officers.

Farmington Police Chief Richard Caton told selectmen that public safety officers would use the new utility vehicle to replace the Chevrolet Blazer, which is unreliable but is used frequently to haul a traffic advisory sign and occasionally during winter weather when a regular police cruiser is not appropriate.

Wright agreed that a new four-wheel-drive vehicle was needed, but she thought this particular vehicle should be under the auspices of the county.

Sheriff Dennis Pike, also a selectmen, suggested that the vehicle be given instead to the county’s emergency management agency, thereby placing any maintenance costs on the county rather than the town of Farmington. He believed that in exchange for housing the vehicle at the Fire Department, the police could use it as needed, saving the county the cost of renting storage space for it.

“It is going to cost us money,” agreed Clyde Ross, deputy fire chief, “but we have the opportunity to acquire a vehicle for the cost of maintaining it.”

The vehicle will give officials greater capability to help residents, he continued, saying that if the sport utility vehicle responded to a major incident in another municipality, other apparatus from the town would respond as well.

Selectman Mark Cayer, a Rumford police officer, believed that the town would pay for the vehicle either way.

“We ask our department heads to think out of the box,” he said, adding that he thought the cost would be minimal.

Cayer, Stephan Bunker and Charles Murray voted to accept the vehicle; Wright voted against and Pike abstained.