After listening to a presentation by Sgt. Chris Camp, who is in charge of the ERT team, and Chief Shawn Heubusch, City Council has decided to move forward with getting onto a wait list and signing up for a Federal Government 1033 Program which easily gives access to military equipment like a Mine Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle
Under the program the MRAP vehicle could be recalled in a military emergency. The decommissioned vehicle would be on loan from the US military.
How it works is the City would sign up for the 1033 Program and be put on a wait list. When a MRAP becomes available, the City would have to pay for the cost of transporting it to Batavia, depending on where the vehicle comes from the cost estimate is about $27,100.
The break down looks like this according to the presentation made by police, $7,100 to transport the vehicle, $20,000 for repairs, police equipment, paint, decals, thermal camera, and other equipment. Total investment is about $27,100.
Genesee County is looking to help pay for half of the vehicle’s cost, with the rest of the money coming from drug forfeitures and a reserve fund. The vehicle would be housed at the Genesee County Sheriff’s Department on Park road.
Currently Saratoga County, Livingston County and Warren County are participating in the 1033 Program.
When Sgt. Camp priced a similar vehicle, a Lenco Bearcat, in March of 2016 the cost to purchase was $254,452.
Police say this vehicle would offer protection to the ERT team when they respond to high risk search warrants, barricaded subjects, armed subjects, hostage situations and other exceptional circumstances.
The current ERT transport vehicle does not offer protection to responding ERT officers and is not bullet proof.
City Council will vote to be placed on the waiting list at their next business meeting in July.