HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. — The state of Tennessee has bought and paid for a new armored vehicle in Hamilton County to help with the sheriff’s office’s SWAT operations.
The Lenco Bear Cat-TEMS (Tactical Emergency Medical Service) Vehicle, paid for by the 2023 Violent Crime Intervention Fund (VCIF) Grant at a cost of $334,169, will serve as both a tactical ambulance and personnel carrier, according to a release from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO).
A HCSO release says designed with hardened armor and blast-resistant windows, the vehicle provides enhanced protection for HCSO personnel, civilians, and victims from high-caliber ballistic threats and projectile weapons.
The advanced Bear Cat-TEMS vehicle is equipped with features to support critical operations and emergency medical response, including storage for medical equipment, the capability to transport two patients on stretchers, IV hookups, overhead lighting, and onboard oxygen tanks…