It’s got four wheels, two cup holders, a 75-gallon water tank, and it could save the lives of those in danger in the remotest parts of Limestone County.

The RT1, a Rough Terrain Vehicle, joined the fleet of Athens Fire Department rescue vehicles earlier this summer, and was officially unveiled to the public Wednesday morning at the Swan Creek Greenway trailhead in Athens.

“With this little vehicle, we can take it wherever we want to,” said Athens Fire Chief Tony Kirk. “It’s ready at all times.”

Adding the RT1 allows first responders to maneuver in areas where large, boxy engines and ambulances cannot go, Kirk said.

“It’s just going to give us another avenue to help the public,” he said. “We can load the equipment on it and drive it wherever we need to.”

Kirk said officials saw a need for such a vehicle after events like the tornado outbreak of 2011, which saw firefighters and medics trying to cross a field to reach a trapped victim.

The miles of train tracks and hiking trails in Limestone County also presented a need for a smaller response vehicle, Kirk said, citing a call his department received from the Swan Creek Greenway where a patient had passed out along the trail. Previously, the only way to reach someone in that situation was to back an ambulance up to the nearest entrance and carry the patient to the car. With a width of 4 feet, the RT1 can travel to any point on the trail.

“With this vehicle, we can carry the patient on it,” Kirk said.

The car was given to AFD through a grant organized by State Sen. Bill Holtzclaw and State Rep. Dan Williams. Each signed off on a $12,500 grant, for a total of $25,000 — enough to purchase the RT1, all its onboard equipment and the trailer it rides on.

“It’s always good to see our services increased and enhanced in Limestone County,” Williams said. “It’s something that we needed and we were glad to help get it.”