Sumter (WLTX) For the past year, Braden Bunch with the Sumter County Sheriff's office says they've had a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected vehicle or MRAP in their fleet.
"The beauty of having this vehicle here at the sheriff's office is that while there are other agencies like SLED or what-have-you across the state that have these types of vehicles that could help us respo
nd to certain situations, this gives us a quicker response time," said Bunch.
Acquired for free through a federal program, Corporal Jeffrey Hofer says the vehicle allows his team to safely respond to dangerous assignments.
"It's a vehicle you can use by taking it into spots that you can't take your normal patrol car, active shooter situations," said Hofer. "I could bring a whole crew in there with a patrol car, but you've got to find a good spot for cover. That spot we are in cover, we can get closer to the scene."
The giant vehicles can be hard to maneuver, however. With other departments hoping to add MRAP's to their team, they need to train first.
On Thursday, 16 members from 13 different agencies met in Sumter County to learn the ins and the outs of the equipment.
"Since we have one here, we're helping out our fellow law enforcement officers from across the state and helping them train here so if that need arises in their jurisdiction, they'll be ready as well," said Bunch.
Ready for situations like drug raids with possible weapons -- an exact scenario Chief Deputy Hampton Gardner says the department faced just last year.
"We had intel that there was going to be semiautomatic weapons when we responded so of course that vehicle was equipped to handle that situation," said Gardner.
After a day of classroom and hands-on learning, the officers will go back to their agencies ready to utilize their own MRAP or call upon each other for help when needed.
"We all have lines, but when all is said and done, responses and crimes don't necessarily follow those lines," said Bunch. "We all need throughout the state to be able to work together."
During the session, trainees got the all-terrain vehicle stuck multiple times. Deputies say this is the exact reason why they train, to prevent similar situations from happening during a real response call.
