Fountain PD Receives MRAP

Fountain PD Receives MRAP

Fountain Police Department has received a MRAP Vehicle.
Posted on 03/12/2019

Last year, the City of Fountain Police Department received a donated MRAP (Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected) vehicle from the U.S. Military. The United States Department of Defense developed these vehicles during the Iraq War to protect from improvised explosive device (IED) attacks. More than 12,000 MRAP vehicles were deployed during the Iraq War and War in Afghanistan.  They were used widely from 2007-2012, when they were replaced by a lighter mine resistant vehicle.

Fountain PD received the MRAP through the DRMO (Defense Reutilization and Marketing Office) program. This program is where the military, through a selection process, takes its used equipment and provides it to law enforcement, and other government entities at no cost. There are two styles of MRAPs utilized, the smaller version was selected because it suited the needs of the city more appropriately.

The primary role of this vehicle will be for use in tactical operations which includes high risk scenarios: execution of search warrants, active shooter situations and citizen rescues. The Police Department does not currently have any other vehicles that provide the protection needed for officers if they encounter an individual who begins firing at them.  Also, during the blizzard of 1997, this type of vehicle could have been used to rescue individuals from their vehicles when they were stranded, as it is all-weather capable. Throughout the past couple decades, law enforcement tactical vehicles have been used to evacuate and rescue citizens during natural disasters, so Fountain PD is thankful they are now one of those agencies with the necessary equipment when those situations occur.

There was a lot of thought put into the color choice for this vehicle.  Other jurisdictions, who have a tactical vehicle, have chosen to follow the military paint scheme but the Police Department didn’t want it to blend in with other military vehicles in our area involved in convoys and other situations.  The dark blue color was chosen based on the availability of the color options and at the recommendation of the painter.  There will be markings and a multitude of lights on the vehicle so it will be readily identifiable as an emergency vehicle.