Our New Departmental MRAP

[ReubenJames]

My department just brought back from MS a MaxxPro to be used by our SWAT team. It will replace an aging Peacekeeper that has more than it's fair share of mechanical issues. The guys that went down to inspect it and drive it back called our insurance carrier before starting back with it to establish a coverage rider in case of a mishap on the way home. As part of my job I take care of logistics and fleet procurement for the department and got a email for the from our insurance carrier inquiring if we wanted full coverage or just liability to cover the other driver or property. Well I was not quite sure how the Sheriff would want to proceed with it so I asked him and he said full coverage. The value of the thing is just north of $550K so that kind of coverage would be pretty salty. We discussed it more and settled on liability with the following reasoning.

1) The thing is virtually indestructible

2) Even though it is titled to us we can not sell when we are done with it due an agreement with government. They said if we don't want it anymore just to call and they would come and pick it up. They did not specify what kind of condition it had to be in when it is returned.

So liability it was.

We also figured that this may reduce our time with barricaded subjects due to the fact that they will probably want to come out and take look at it. We thought it might go something like this: "Hey y'all that real nice truck ya got. Can I take it muddin?"

Enjoy!!!

 

[swbradley1]

Enjoy the new title.

Oh yeah, and the truck too.


Indiana huh?

 

[ReubenJames]

Yep Indiana...The insurance thing lasted about 5 more minutes than I thought it would. I think they used something like 250-300 gallons of fuel driving it back. Still cheaper then paying to have it hauled. Best rate we could find was $3/mile loaded and it was about 800 miles.

 

[M1075]

Awesome! Please keep us posted on the re-use.

 

[HASSON1911]

Nice truck! I wish everyone could get there hands on one, They are very armored but like every truck they got their weakness, but for warrants and HVT should be fine.

 

[quickfarms]

They are designed to protect the occupants from an IED. They are not a tank.

 

[drician]

Hey look, it is a late 80's honda in the background of the first picture! Just kidding, that MRAP is awesome.

 

[HASSON1911]

Hey look, it is a late 80's honda in the background of the first picture! Just kidding, that MRAP is awesome.

Yea but, do you see those wheelers!

 

[Gunner0311]

Caution!

Words of caution from an old warrior:

1. She is very "top heavy" and you need to be very cautious about angles of approach or she will roll-over with great excietment on the crews part.

2. Unless the boss gives you the okay to mount a heavy weapon you have little offensive capability. She will be great for moving in to deploy a team

or recover the wounded. You still have to leave the relative safety of the vehicle to engage the bad guys and secure a position! Good luck with the new toy!

 

[silverstate55]

Nice score! Those old Peacekeepers are well past their prime...my department got rid of them to replace with Bearcats (on federal grants) since they were always breaking down. Don't see any MRAPs in our future as we're pretty well stocked, but you never know.

Stay safe!

 

[Hoefler]

That trucks new home must be in a bad neighborhood.

 

[papabear]

My department just brought back from MS a MaxxPro to be used by our SWAT team. It will replace an aging Peacekeeper that has more than it's fair share of mechanical issues. The guys that went down to inspect it and drive it back called our insurance carrier before starting back with it to establish a coverage rider in case of a mishap on the way home. As part of my job I take care of logistics and fleet procurement for the department and got a email for the from our insurance carrier inquiring if we wanted full coverage or just liability to cover the other driver or property. Well I was not quite sure how the Sheriff would want to proceed with it so I asked him and he said full coverage. The value of the thing is just north of $550K so that kind of coverage would be pretty salty. We discussed it more and settled on liability with the following reasoning.

1) The thing is virtually indestructible

2) Even though it is titled to us we can not sell when we are done with it due an agreement with government. They said if we don't want it anymore just to call and they would come and pick it up. They did not specify what kind of condition it had to be in when it is returned.

So liability it was.

We also figured that this may reduce our time with barricaded subjects due to the fact that they will probably want to come out and take look at it. We thought it might go something like this: "Hey y'all that real nice truck ya got. Can I take it muddin?"

Enjoy!!!

View attachment 456674View attachment 456675View attachment 456676

I found it hard to believe but our SWAT Team here in Columbus, Georgia got a vehicle identical to that one along with two hummers.

Gosh, with only 190,000 people in the ENTIRE COUNTY (Consolidated Government), we must be a rough crowd!!

 

[patracy]

1) The thing is virtually indestructible

Virtually indestructible.

I'm sorry, I've been all around the one PB mentioned. I know how I could make it have a bad day with nothing more than a butter knife.

 

[papabear]

Virtually indestructible.

I'm sorry, I've been all around the one PB mentioned. I know how I could make it have a bad day with nothing more than a butter knife.

Ummm....no, you've been around the black one from HLS (old GOLAN). This is a newer different type and came in during the GA Rally.

 

[EMD567]

Thats okay--- I bet an MRAP will find bottom on a mudhole just slightly slower than an Abrams. And instead of tracks, all you have are 4 tires.
A small city in my county just acquired an MRAP, and they call it an ARV(Armoured Rescue Vehicle) They claimed it was modified to drive thru water 6' deep, and that it would be useful in hostage situations.

 

[ReubenJames]

Thanks for the replies.

I told them same thing about it being top heavy and in some the places we might have to take that it would be prone to rollover. Another issue is that we have some bridges that won't support it either. I also told them to watch where they drive it off the road or we would be either paying a rather large tow bill or be leaving there for the duration. I was then told by one of the SWAT members that has some experience in them that he drove one in Iraq and they are impossibe to get stuck. I told him maybe so in sand but he apparently have never been up to his axles in clay mud. I've seen 4X4 farm tractor buried to their bellies more than once.

One the main reason for this thing is to get officers out of harms way. They are going to fabricate a ram for it that has the ability to put in tear gas. We recently had some officer trying to serve a fugitve warrant get pinned down in a basement with a subject barricaded in a adjacent room firing rounds from a AK-47 though the walls. It took forever to get them out. The State Police finally used their armored vehicle to breach the residence and a robot to carry in a ballistic shield to the officers and introduce gas into the suspects room.

It is being prepped right now for a new OD green paint job. When that is done I will post more pics

 

[Al Harvey]

I'm keeping my feelings about this out and just giving advice on the vehicle.

Words of caution from an old warrior:

1. She is very "top heavy" and you need to be very cautious about angles of approach or she will roll-over with great excietment on the crews part.

Just to add on to this part, speed is not your friend in these. In 08 our convoy speed was limited to 35mph due to rollovers. One example of a roll over was a unit traveling at 50-55mph and a small (and I mean small) IED went off. No damage to the vehicle at all, but the driver jerked the wheel just a little and the truck rolled. The result was one broken back and multiple broken bones for the crew and one totaled truck just from the rollover. With the way people like to cut off big trucks in the states I could see this being a situtation we will be hearing about soon. Also you might want to contact a local military base and see if they have a rollover trainer as it would be good for the personnel that would be in the truck to train on. Espically since your MRAP is single rear wheel and not the duals.

As for not getting stuck, LOL, they sink. I've got pics somewhere of late night recoveries that were on the FOB after a rain from someone wanting to go "mudding" lol.

 

[ReubenJames]

Just to add on to this part, speed is not your friend in these. In 08 our convoy speed was limited to 35mph due to rollovers. One example of a roll over was a unit traveling at 50-55mph and a small (and I mean small) IED went off. No damage to the vehicle at all, but the driver jerked the wheel just a little and the truck rolled. The result was one broken back and multiple broken bones for the crew and one totaled truck just from the rollover. With the way people like to cut off big trucks in the states I could see this being a situtation we will be hearing about soon. Also you might want to contact a local military base and see if they have a rollover trainer as it would be good for the personnel that would be in the truck to train on. Espically since your MRAP is single rear wheel and not the duals.

Definitely a concern that I had too. I will pass the info and suggestions along. Thanks for the input.

Reading between the lines from some the posts ( and posts in a similiar thread) I too have some misgiving about these types of vehicles in civilian law enforcement but I work for a Sheriff's Dept and we take the constitution very seriously so I have little concern about misuse. I am, however, concerned about our officers, who while doing the job they were sworn to do, getting in a pickle and needing more protection in either getting into or out of a hostile situation as safely as they can. If you would have told me 27 years ago when I started with this agency that such a vehicle like this or a peacekeeper for that matter would have been necessary in our jurisdiction I would have told you that you are smoking something that is most likely illegal. But times have definitely changed and we deal with a more violent offender nowdays who seem to have little, if any, regard for the rule of law or the consequences of their actions. And they most certainly don't value human life or have much concern with trying to take one.

 

[Kalashnikov]

I'm keeping my feelings about this out and just giving advice on the vehicle.



Just to add on to this part, speed is not your friend in these. In 08 our convoy speed was limited to 35mph due to rollovers. One example of a roll over was a unit traveling at 50-55mph and a small (and I mean small) IED went off. No damage to the vehicle at all, but the driver jerked the wheel just a little and the truck rolled. The result was one broken back and multiple broken bones for the crew and one totaled truck just from the rollover. With the way people like to cut off big trucks in the states I could see this being a situtation we will be hearing about soon. Also you might want to contact a local military base and see if they have a rollover trainer as it would be good for the personnel that would be in the truck to train on. Espically since your MRAP is single rear wheel and not the duals.

As for not getting stuck, LOL, they sink. I've got pics somewhere of late night recoveries that were on the FOB after a rain from someone wanting to go "mudding" lol.

That seems like pretty serious injuries for a rollover. You'd think those suspension seats would've made the impact less severe.

 

[Al Harvey]

That seems like pretty serious injuries for a rollover. You'd think those suspension seats would've made the impact less severe.

The broken back was from the gunner and the other limbs were arms and I believe a leg from the driver and TC from their limbs flopping around during the rollover. That's why securing the seatbelts tightly and rollover trainers are important.