On Tuesday, the Brentwood City Council will vote on the approval to purchase an armored rescue vehicle (ARV) for the Brentwood Police Department.
The police department is requesting the approval to the purchase of MedEvac G2 from Lenco Industries in an effort to preserve life and enhance the safety of citizens and other. The cost is $367,907. The item comes before the council due to the council approving its military use policy back in April under Assembly Bill 481 (AB 481).
According to police, over the last two years, the Brentwood Police Department has needed an ARV on at least four
different occasions. In all but one of these situations, the Department had to rely on mutual aid to ensure the safety of our citizens and officers. In the fourth incident, mutual aid was not able to respond. These incidents included high-risk arrest warrants of potentially armed individuals, a possible armed subject wanted for felony crimes threatening to kill himself, and two citizens experiencing a mental health crisis and armed with weapons.
Per the Staff Report:
Pittsburg Police Photo by Art Ray
Active shooter events are increasing nationwide, and the City of Brentwood is not immune to the potential of this type of incident occurring within our jurisdiction. The City of Brentwood and the Brentwood Police Department take the potential of such an event extremely seriously. The Brentwood Police Department conducts active shooter training annually. In addition, the Department’s SWAT Team trains monthly on the response to critical incidents. The Brentwood Police Department has trained all City staff in the active shooter response and preparedness with the use of ALICE Training (Alert, Lockdown, Inform, Counter, Evacuate). The Brentwood Police Department has also partnered with Brentwood Union School District and the Liberty Union School District to train their staff in the ALICE Training.
Although Brentwood Police Department trains for active shooters and critical incidents, the Department feels that the addition of an Armored Rescue Vehicle (ARV) would better prepare officers to respond to these types of incidents. The Lenco Industries, Inc., MedEvac G2 is the ARV that will provide the protection to our citizens and officers. Lenco Industries, Inc. (d/b/a Lenco Armored Vehicles) is the only designer and US manufacturer and distributor of the Lenco MedCat/MedEvac G2, making it a sole source provider. A search was conducted, and no other companies were found that provided the capabilities that the Lenco MedEvac G2 offers.
On the tactical side, this vehicle is ballistic rated at the highest level (NIJ IV), which is capable of withstanding multiple .50 caliber rounds to the body and glass. Additionally, Lenco is the only manufacturer that offers level IIIA Kevlar-based ballistic skip round shields that are capable of being hung from the vehicle running boards to the ground, end to end. The skip round shields provide ballistic protection to police officers and injured citizens from gunfire and skip rounds
directed at and under the vehicle. Also, the MedEvac is the only armored vehicle that offers a two-piece hydraulic adjustable ram with a gas injector system that incorporates a triple valve over pressure relief system in order to increase operator safety. This hydraulic ram is capable of breaching barricaded structures and deploying less lethal chemical agents into a structure while being safely controlled by a police officer from inside the protection of the vehicle.
On the medical side, the vehicle contains two full-size medical stretchers mounted to the inside walls that can be quickly disconnected and deployed in the field to rescue and evacuate injured individuals. There are built-in medical supply cabinets with a workstation and onboard oxygen supply tanks. No other company offers this combination of tactical prowess with medical life-saving capabilities.
This ARV is a four-wheeled vehicle used to enhance and sustain the safety of individuals and emergency responders when answering the call to active shooter incidents or hazardous situations. When an active shooting event occurs, the area where the incident is occurring is divided into three categories:
- Hot Zone: active shooter not contained and in the area, a direct threat for injury exists, imminent threat/danger, and law enforcement only.
- Warm Zone: active shooter not believed to be in the area, indirect threats remain, life-saving interventions only, rapid initial triage, and rapid evacuation of survivors.
- Cold Zone: minimal to no threats, ambulance staging, fire staging, incoming law enforcement units staging, and command post.
Over the last two years, the Brentwood Police Department has needed an ARV on at least four different occasions. In all but one of these situations, the Department had to rely on mutual aid to ensure the safety of our citizens and officers. In the fourth incident, mutual aid was not able to respond. These incidents included high-risk arrest warrants of potentially armed individuals, a possible armed subject wanted for felony crimes threatening to kill himself, and two citizens experiencing a mental health crisis and armed with weapons.
Having an ARV ready to deploy from Brentwood’s police facility will ensure an increase in officers’ capabilities during a critical incident. An ARV owned by the City will decrease Brentwood’s reliance on mutual aid in these types of situations and minimize response times. Time is extremely important when responding to critical incidents, and having the ability to get officers and medically trained personnel to wounded citizens and officers as quickly as possible will save lives. This ARV allows trained personnel to enter unsecured, unstable areas (warm/hot zones), to deliver immediate assistance to individuals in need, and/or protect life and property. The Lenco Industries, Inc., MedEvac G2 is designed to provide officers with critical equipment needed to enhance our ability to better serve and protect the community.
The ARV can be deployed for a variety of critical incidents such as violent felonies; incidents where the suspect has used, intends to use or is likely to use extreme violence against citizens or Brentwood Police Officers; and de-escalation of armed suspects having mental health episodes. Additionally, the ARV will be utilized to perform rescue operations for injured citizens and officers. The ARV is equipped with life-saving equipment and can safely deliver specially trained personnel and equipment to the scene. The equipment and specially trained personnel will ensure that the victims receive life-saving efforts faster, providing a higher probability of survival. The ARV can also be used for evacuating those who are physically unable to safely escape an active situation.
Aside from critical incidents involving life-saving measures, the ARV will be used for natural disasters, emergency rescue operations, community events, and public relations such as parades, educational events, and law enforcement demonstrations.
The ARV is designed for tactical emergency operations. Adequate staff will be trained in the operations of the ARV so it can be deployed quickly to the scene of a hazardous situation or emergency rescue. The MedEvac G2 is equipped with two tactical stretchers (litters), onboard oxygen tanks, light work stations, and compartments for medical supplies. The MedEvac G2 was purpose-built for rescuing, treating, and evacuating injured people. The MedEvac G2 is capable of evacuating four individuals, whether injured or not. The injured will receive life-saving measures while they are being transported from the hot or warm zone to waiting Emergency Medical Staff (EMS), which will increase their survival rate. Without an ARV, injured individuals could be stranded at their location until the suspect is neutralized and the scene is rendered safe, thus reducing their chances for survival.
The Lenco Industries, Inc., MedEvac G2 is built using the Ford F550 chassis and only requires a class C driver’s license to operate. Any personnel trained in the operations of the ARV can drive this vehicle without a need for additional licenses or endorsements by the DMV. In the event the ARV needs service or repairs, a local vendor will be able to provide those services.
FISCAL IMPACT
The total one-time cost for the purchase of the ARV is $367,907.05, including sales tax and shipping. The cost is proposed to be funded from two sources: $193,908 from the Police Grant Fund and $174,000 from the Asset Seizure Fund.
The Police Grants Fund has the requisite funds available from accumulated COPS/Supplemental Law Enforcement Services Funds (SLESF) allocations. These allocations are restricted for supplementing front-line law enforcement services and equipment. After this expenditure, there will be approximately $235,500 remaining in accumulated funds, along with
projected FY 2022/23 revenue of $150,000. A budget amendment of $193,908 to the Police Grants Fund is proposed to allow for this expenditure.
The second source of funding for the one-time acquisition costs would be $174,000 of available balance in the Asset Seizure Fund. The Asset Seizure Fund accounts for amounts forfeited in certain criminal cases and funds are available to be used for allowable law enforcement expenditures. This proposed expenditure would utilize all of the available balance in the Asset Seizure Fund. There are no ongoing Police Services funded by the Asset Seizure Fund and a budget amendment of $174,000 is proposed to allow for this expenditure.
In addition to the one-time cost of the purchase, the annual ongoing cost to maintain the ARV is estimated to be $1,500 and an annual replacement cost of $35,000 is expected to be incurred. These ongoing costs will be funded by the General Fund and the costs will be incorporated into future Operating Budgets
Info & Photo of the MedEvac G2: https://www.lencoarmor.com/model/bearcat-medevac-fire-ems/
Brentwood City Council Meeting
August 9, 2022 at 7:00 pm
Zoom: www.brentwoodca.gov/vcc or Zoom Webinar ID: 760 1397 0037
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Council Agenda: Click here
