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Walnut Creek City Council Voting On Purchase Of Armored Bomb Squad Vehicle

WALNUT CREEK (CBS SF/BCN) -- The Walnut Creek City Council plans to vote Tuesday on purchasing a new armored response vehicle for its police department's bomb squad.

The police department received a Homeland Security grant for $267,543, which will come as a reimbursement once the city buys the truck. Any purchases over more than $85,000 must be approved by the council.

The grant goes to $303,804, allowing the department to buy advanced electronic diagnostic equipment, explosive safety equipment and specialized training.

The vehicle is a seriously modified 2022 Ford F-550, weighing 19,500 pounds and powered by a 6.7 liter, V8, power stroke, turbo-charged diesel engine. The city is buying the armored truck from Florida-based Emergency Vehicles, Inc.

Walnut Creek has the only bomb squad in Contra Costa County and provides investigation and disposal of explosive devices all over the region. According to a city staff report, the new vehicle would "allow the bomb squad to have two equally capable response vehicles, to improve response time and provide redundancy in the event a vehicle become inoperable."

The report also says the city will establish a fund for the future replacement of the vehicle, with the amount based on the purchase price and prorated over its expected life. Ongoing cost of fuel and maintenance for the truck is estimated to be $1,500 annually.

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