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Area police to share armored rescue vehicle
By Julia Voss
newsroom@pantagraph.com
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EUREKA -- Officers from the Woodford County Sheriff's Department and 10 other communities have access to an armored police rescue vehicle.

The bulletproof, 17,000-pound vehicle cost $220,000. It was paid for with federal money shared after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks to help communities prepare themselves for potential attacks. Springfield and Champaign have similar vehicles.

Illinois used the money to create 10 regional weapons of mass destruction special response teams.

"We're the only state in the country that did that," said Lt. James Pierson, tactical commander of the Central Illinois Emergency Response Team and Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System.

"Part of the caveat for attracting these (tactical) teams to be part of the ILEAS team was to say, any equipment that (the federal government) gives ILEAS, you can use for your local team as well," said Pierson.

Every agency that is part of the Central Illinois Emergency Response Team has access to ILEAS equipment, which includes the police rescue vehicle. CIERT joined ILEAS in March 2006.

CIERT has officers from departments in Bloomington, Pontiac, Taylorville, Macomb, Canton and Havana. The Peoria County Sheriff's Department is the host agency for the CIERT and ILEAS teams.

"This is just a small part of the equipment that we've received," said Pierson. "They've probably spent $1 million on this team alone."

CIERT also has access to a Ford Excursion and a 30-foot trailer to haul equipment. The police rescue vehicle will be kept in Peoria County with the rest of the CIERT equipment.

The police rescue vehicle has a diesel engine and is built on a Ford chassis. It can be safely driven up to speeds of about 65 miles per hour.

An interior radiation detector can identify levels of gamma radiation. A combustible gas reader sounds an alarm if team members enter an unsafe area.

Because of the cost, the vehicle "is something none of the counties would be able to have on their own," said Woodford County Sheriff Jim Piercall. "It takes the cooperation of multiple agencies to have something like this."

The vehicle creates a safer operating environment for officers in emergency aid or hostage situations.

Woodford County Deputy Marshall Smith was involved in an incident in Bartonville last December when the vehicle was deployed.

"That's the big thing in an 'officer down' rescue where there is an active shooter involved," said Smith. "With this vehicle, we could drive right into that situation, pull up, put the wounded citizen in the vehicle and drive out of the hot zone safely. It's the only vehicle in the area that could be used like that."

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Reader comments on this story - 18 total

Note: All views and opinions expressed in reader comments are solely those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of the Pantagraph or its staff.

to Great wrote on Mar 27, 2007 9:36 PM:

" I agree, they will probably need it for parking complaints and loud music it takes 4 of them to handle one call...now they can ride together and save gas. "

Great wrote on Mar 27, 2007 9:35 PM:

" It takes Bloomington at least an hour to respond to a call now it will be 1 hour and 45 minutes. They will have to drive to Peoria to borrow the Rapid Tactical Response yada yada yada yada.........more toys for boys paid for by us..... "

to thats a fact jack wrote on Mar 27, 2007 6:36 PM:

" When you see Capt. Stillman, tell him I took it to get it washed. "

That's a fact Jack wrote on Mar 27, 2007 12:44 PM:

" sounds like a kick a$$ RV...maybe they should take it into Czechoslovakia or Wisconsin or something. "

No free lunches wrote on Mar 27, 2007 11:03 AM:

" Federal funding means federal, not state, laws will control the recipient departments. In the case of Joshua Wolf, this allowed federal prosecutors to haul the reporter before a federal court to force him to release certain videotape, thus bypassing California's reporter shield laws. There are always strings attached to money. Some are not obvious until it's too late. "

waste of money wrote on Mar 27, 2007 7:18 AM:

" Why do we need this? The article says it was paid for with a federal grant. Where did that grant money come from? Out of my tax money from my pocket. I don't want or need an armored vehicle. Who gave them the right to make the decision to buy this without a vote on it by the taxpayers? No wonder there is a huge federal spending deficit. "

Michael Schumann wrote on Mar 27, 2007 12:42 AM:

" It is just a toy and it won't last long. Other communities have done this type of fad and fashion thing. For, example a lot of them bought Hummers tricked out as Rescue equipment only to turn around and sell them at a loss when they were seldom used but expensive to keep up. Like so many have posted here, it is "cool" and it is "wow" but in the end, it is still a waste of resources. Bear in mind that no such machine stopped Oklahoma City or two attacks on the Twin Towers. If the cops around here just needed something for hostage situations they should have opted for body armor kept locally. "

MyOnly wrote on Mar 26, 2007 10:17 PM:

" Complaint is the vehicle was build on a Ford Chassis. Aside from that, it is good to see that Illinois is trying to do something to protect it's citisens.. The fact that they have one in Springfield, Champaign, and Peoria (and that all of it is not in Chicago), means that ..... Well you figure it out.. "

to To what a waste wrote on Mar 26, 2007 8:06 PM:

" If that's the case, then just stay away from the local greasy spoon. "

Feeling safer? wrote on Mar 26, 2007 6:21 PM:

" $220,000 for a truck + "They've probably spent $1 million on this team alone." Seems like maybe some pork was spread around under the guise of fighting terrorism. It is a great ideato protect everybody, but there may be better ways of spending that money like 20 new teachers or cops in the area. "

to what a waste 2 wrote on Mar 26, 2007 4:22 PM:

" you will think this when you are the one in need of said vehicle!! "

m wrote on Mar 26, 2007 4:07 PM:

" In the smaller towns outside Peoria and Bloomington, you can usually find the police hanging out at the local gas stations. Be kind of cool to see one just sitting outside one of these businesses for a couple hours at a time. "Yep, that's the new patrol car. It's a loaner." "

To What a Waste wrote on Mar 26, 2007 3:49 PM:

" Don't rule out a terrorist attack on a smaller community. What would terrorize Americans more than to have a smaller town attacked or wiped out by terrorists? People who live in big cities are not the only ones at risk. "

Big Buoy wrote on Mar 26, 2007 3:42 PM:

" "Wow"what a vehicle, but will it float? "

Waste wrote on Mar 26, 2007 3:03 PM:

" Some cop is just wanting to be over powering. bet this thing is never used in rural central illinois. what a waste of tax money. these people should be replaced. "

to What a waste wrote on Mar 26, 2007 3:01 PM:

" Read the article. "

What a waste wrote on Mar 26, 2007 2:28 PM:

" Woodford county is rural communty county, what do they need this for, borrow one from Peoria if needed. What are they scared there is going to be an attack on an elevator or corn field. "

Pictures? wrote on Mar 26, 2007 1:06 PM:

" Anyone know of a website where there are pictures of this vehicle? Sounds cool, and I would love to see it! "
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