WELLFLEET — The fire department unveiled its new Polaris buggy at Newcomb Hollow Beach Saturday morning as part of its new line of safety equipment for responding to shark attacks. On its maiden voyage, however, it got stuck in the sand.

Town safety officials held a press conference at the beach to explain and demonstrate the new equipment purchased in preparation for this summer.

Among the purchases was a $30,000 Polaris Ranger XP buggy, outfitted with beach treads and a bed designed for evacuating people who have been injured.

“Before, [the lifeguards] would have to carry people up the dune,” said Suzanne Grout Thomas, the beach administrator. “If you get a good-sized person, it could take four people to haul someone up on a backboard. Now, we just need a driver.”

After the Wellfleet fire and police depts. got a chance to take a look, the lifeguards took the buggy for a spin. As soon as the vehicle left the paved parking lot and hit the sand, it got stuck. The tracks spun in place, spitting sand and going nowhere. At each attempt to move, the spinning tracks dug the buggy deeper.

After cutting down a section of the beach fence and digging out the sand underneath the vehicle, emergency personnel finally freed it and reversed it back onto the pavement, leaving a crater behind.

“It was an issue with the four-wheel drive,” Wellfleet Fire Chief Richard Pauley said. “The front two tracks didn’t engage, and the back tracks just dug a hole. It needs to be fitted with lights and other equipment, so we were going to send it back anyway. They can fix all this all at once.”

Thomas said the repaired vehicle will be back on the beach by early in the week of July 8.

The fire dept. plans to use the vehicle in the off season for snow emergencies, Pauley said.

Although the buggy is the jewel in the crown of the town’s new safety equipment, there are many other changes at Wellfleet beaches that swimmers will notice this summer.

All ocean beaches have new shark warning signs, larger and more colorful, to make the public aware of the danger of sharks, according to Suzy Blake, the head lifeguard at Newcomb Hollow. The signs have “stop the bleed” kits attached, although all lifeguards have their own.

The Wellfleet lifeguards will also be flying purple flags at their lookout towers at all times to communicate the constant risk of sharks. The lifeguards will fly a black flag if there is a confirmed shark sighting. When the black flag is flying, there is no swimming allowed.

“We will be pretty active, trying to keep people out of the water when there is a shark sighting,” Blake said. “We don’t want people swimming if we know there is a shark in the area.”

All ocean beaches now have new aluminum lookout posts.

“The new posts are higher so we can get a better view down into the water,” Blake said. “We love them because they give us a better vantage point, and they are made out of aluminum, so they don’t get hot.”

The old wooden stands have been moved to the parking lots to serve as extra lookout spots.

Wellfleet lifeguards have been issued polarized glasses to help counter glare when looking into the water, and they have been trained in marine wildlife identification, ensuring all guards know a shark when they see it.

Every Wellfleet beach bathroom has now been equipped with an emergency phone that calls the Barnstable County emergency dispatch center as soon as it is picked up.

“We are really trying to focus on response,” Blake said. “Other places are focusing on prevention. We want to focus on response if an emergency does happen.”

Public education is a priority for this summer. Blake encouraged anyone with questions or concerns to talk to lifeguards, who have been trained to help the public stay aware of danger and make informed decisions.