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| Thursday, June 2 9, 2 0 1 7 | 1 6 Police put armoured rescue vehicle on the road by Tim W hitne ll Metroland West Media Halton Regional police have purchased three new specialty vehicles -- two of which hit the road this past spring. The service unveiled the additions to its fleet at a recent Police Services Board meeting: a smaller Mobile Command Unit (MCU) and an Armoured Rescue Vehicle (ARV). The MCU, of which Halton police have bought two, is designed to "provide flexible response to many situations and will also be used by the service' s Search Incident Response Team (SIRT) and Crisis Negotiation Team," according to police. One new MCU and one new ARV are fully operational according to Insp. Kevin Maher of the Emergency Services Bureau. "While we are fortunate to live in Canada' s safest regional municipality, we must be prepared to deal with incidents that, while very low in frequency, pose a real and tangible threat to community well-being," said Halton Police Chief Stephen Tanner. "Even if the rescue vehicle is used to save the life of one person, either an officer or member of the public we serve, it will be well worth the investment. The safety of the public and of our officers is paramount," the chief added. Police say the two MCU vehicles and one ARV support the service' s 2017-2019 Corporate Business Plan, which launched in January: Community Safety and Well being, and Organizational Capacity. The cost of the first new, 26-foot-long MCU is $323,000 while the second, larger one is $499,000; the one ARV is $313,000, for a total cost of $1,135,000. Capital project funding for the MCUs was approved in 2015; funding for the ARV was approved in 2016. Both vehicles are black and have Halton police markings, although it is subdued on the ARV. The second MCU to Halton Regional Police Service's new $323,000 Armoured Rescue Vehicle (ARV) that made its debut at Police Day in Oakville. | Graham Paine/Metroland come will be larger than the new one police now have. The Armoured Rescue Vehicle is new to Halton police. It will be deployed in incidents that pose a greater threat to public and officer safety such as high-risk search warrants, the rescue of injured citizens or officers and armed, barricaded persons. The vehicle will be operated by the service' s Tactical Rescue Unit. TRU responded to 125 incidents in 2016. Both MCUs will replace the Mobile Command Unit that had been in service since 2002 and was a converted recreational vehicle. The old MCU has reached the end of its operational lifecycle and has required frequent repairs in recent years, say police. "It' s getting harder and harder to find parking for it. It' s very large," Maher said of the current RV serving as the service' s MCU. The new MCUs have the capability to be used as a mobile unit at small-scale, critical incidents and provide operational flexibility should a search and separate critical incident occur at or around the same time, said police. Maher said eventually having access to two mobile units will give them the option of placing one at special events, like Burlington' s annual Sound of Music Festival, which is attended by tens of thousands of people daily at Spencer Smith Park over four days each mid-June. In the past, Maher said police would "reluctantly" not put the current sole MCU at large festivals because it might be needed somewhere else. "N ow we might be able to put it down there" or at other festivals, he noted. "We are a partner with the festivals to do with public safety. It' s a place for us to be visible to the public." w w w .insidehalton.com | O A K V I L L E BEAVER 5 · · 1 S T A P U S ' 1 more h a p p e n BLAZER Dorval Crossin L mp lr ' w I ' Over 60 S°ops & Services located at QEW & Dorval Drive Visit dorvalcrossing.com for more information J it PROUDLY M A N A G E D BY m QB B entall Kennedy