PCSO’s big asset: Truck to aid in search and rescue

    Before any naysayers open their mouths, Sheriff Thom Elliott has two things to say about the hulking new addition to the Phillips County Sheriff’s Office:
    1. The truck cost the County nothing.
    2. It is completely demilitarized and contains no guns.
    If the MRAP vehicle recently acquired by PCSO looks like an expensive item meant for war, that’s because it was. MRAP stands for mine-resistant ambush protected, and the 2009 truck was, in fact, used by the Army in such places as Afghanistan. It was designed specifically to withstand roadside bomb attacks and ambushes, but in its new Phillips County role, the truck will serve as an all-weather, all-terrain search and rescue tool.
    Though the Army values the truck at nearly half a million dollars, PCSO paid nothing for it, thanks to the 1033 Program, which allows law enforcement agencies access to surplus military equipment.
    Troy Killin transported the truck from Oklahoma free of charge, so the sheriff’s office was only responsible for standard maintenance — battery, fluids, etc. — to get the truck ready for action.
    Last month’s crippling blizzard served as a harsh reminder that emergency responders need special equipment to navigate snowy terrain even when others can’t. With the new truck, Elliott reckons there isn’t a snowdrift PCSO won’t be able to conquer.
    In addition to being able to get other vehicles unstuck, the truck will be equipped with search and rescue equipment from the county’s fire and ambulance services.
    Residents won’t see the new truck being used for patrolling or other everyday activities. Elliott explained that it will be used only in situations in which other vehicles won’t suffice. PCSO intends to have the truck on display at Dandelion Daze and National Night Out so the community can take a firsthand look at its new asset.