Post by aleamon98 on Aug 16, 2007 14:11:40 GMT -5
www.newschannel9.com/articles/says_14795___article.html/vehicle_county.html
Walker County Now Has New Tool To Combat Crime
Derek Dellinger
August 16, 2007 - 1:41PM
At 16 tons, it's certainly a foreboding piece of equipment...
Anytime they can get a piece of equipment like this," Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson says, "yes, it's like (being) a kid in a candy store."
For Sheriff Wilson, their newly refurbished armored vehicle is a chance to to save lives in a crisis. "If the need arises we'll be able to go out and save the life of an officer, save the life of an innocent person, by being able to get the vehicle in and we won't risk an officer being shot or injured, or a citizen being shot or injured," he says.
The county was able to get the vehicle through a Homeland Security grant, and they turned to Blue Bird North Georgia, a company known more for school buses than armored cars, to help fix years of wear and tear.
"I was expecting something along more of a typical vehicle," says Blue Bird North Georgia General Manager Kevin Wood. "When this pulled in the gate we were surprised, but we took it as a challenge."
A challenge the crews at Blue Bird had a lot of fun with. "I mean it raised the testosterone level about 10-thousand percent at the plant, so everybody really enjoyed working it," says Wood.
The armored vehicle was originally used in Panama in the 1980s. Sheriff Wilson says, "Manuel Noriega and his forces had the vehicle in Panama and when Panama was liberated by US forces in late 80s and early 90s the vehicle came back to the US army."
And the work came without a price tag. Wilson says there was "no cost to the taxpayers in Walker County. Blue Bird did all the work free of charge."
But despite the smiles from Walker County's Special Operations, team leader Pat Cook says they'll be able to do their job better. "Its a good feeling to know that when a call comes out that we may have to go in harms way, we've got something that'll carry us there and keep us safe."
Walker County Now Has New Tool To Combat Crime
Derek Dellinger
August 16, 2007 - 1:41PM
At 16 tons, it's certainly a foreboding piece of equipment...
Anytime they can get a piece of equipment like this," Walker County Sheriff Steve Wilson says, "yes, it's like (being) a kid in a candy store."
For Sheriff Wilson, their newly refurbished armored vehicle is a chance to to save lives in a crisis. "If the need arises we'll be able to go out and save the life of an officer, save the life of an innocent person, by being able to get the vehicle in and we won't risk an officer being shot or injured, or a citizen being shot or injured," he says.
The county was able to get the vehicle through a Homeland Security grant, and they turned to Blue Bird North Georgia, a company known more for school buses than armored cars, to help fix years of wear and tear.
"I was expecting something along more of a typical vehicle," says Blue Bird North Georgia General Manager Kevin Wood. "When this pulled in the gate we were surprised, but we took it as a challenge."
A challenge the crews at Blue Bird had a lot of fun with. "I mean it raised the testosterone level about 10-thousand percent at the plant, so everybody really enjoyed working it," says Wood.
The armored vehicle was originally used in Panama in the 1980s. Sheriff Wilson says, "Manuel Noriega and his forces had the vehicle in Panama and when Panama was liberated by US forces in late 80s and early 90s the vehicle came back to the US army."
And the work came without a price tag. Wilson says there was "no cost to the taxpayers in Walker County. Blue Bird did all the work free of charge."
But despite the smiles from Walker County's Special Operations, team leader Pat Cook says they'll be able to do their job better. "Its a good feeling to know that when a call comes out that we may have to go in harms way, we've got something that'll carry us there and keep us safe."