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Carroll County to seek FEMA/GEMA funds for armored skid steer for public safety and response
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Summary
Sgt. Brandon Wiggins told commissioners the county was awarded a GEMA/FEMA grant to buy an armored skid steer priced at $500,800 with no local match; commissioners asked about transport and use, and staff said the machine will support SWAT, community events, storm response and search‑and‑rescue missions.
Sgt. Brandon Wiggins of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office reported that the county has been awarded a GEMA/FEMA grant to purchase an armored skid steer intended to support tactical operations, search‑and‑rescue access and storm response. Wiggins said the cost of the machine as presented was $500,800 and that the grant requires no local match.
"This is a no matching grant," Wiggins said, describing the vehicle as an armored skid steer built on a Caterpillar platform by Ring Power in St. Augustine, Florida, with armored steel plating and bulletproof glass and a breaching tool that includes 360‑degree cameras to allow officers to see inside a structure before making entry. He said there are only two comparable vehicles in the state — one kept at the state capitol by Georgia State Patrol and one at Clayton County Sheriff's Office — and that the county has used a previously approved Bearcat for approximately 28 callouts and for community events.
Wiggins described warranties: 24 months/2,000 hours on the base machine, one year on implements, and three years on the breaching cameras/ram. Commissioners asked how the county plans to transport the vehicle; Wiggins said the county has purchased a GMC 3500 dually pickup rated to haul the machine on a 30‑foot gooseneck trailer.
Commissioners agreed to place the purchase and grant acceptance paperwork on the May 5 consent agenda; no formal vote occurred during the work session.
