Barrie police in the market for new armoured rescue vehicle

City police are adding rolling armour to their arsenal, for as much as $450,000.

Barrie Police Service is in the process of drafting a request for proposals (RFP) for a new armoured rescue vehicle (ARV), as approved by the police board, from surplus funds in their 2023 budget, said Barrie police communications co-ordinator Jennett Mays.

“After more than eight years with our service, the current rescue vehicle has reached the end of its useful life and future repairs are estimated to become cost-prohibitive,” she said. “When a new rescue vehicle is received, the current vehicle will be retired from operational use.”

Mays said the money for the new ARV come from a year-end surplus from the 2023 fiscal year.

The Barrie Police Services Board approved up to $450,000 toward the purchase of a rescue vehicle, she said.

“It will be a newly built rescue vehicle, as used ones are difficult to source and a new one will provide a longer operational life," Mays added. 

Barrie’s fleet unit maintains and repairs all operational police vehicles, including Rescue 1. The police command post vehicle, for example, is more than 22 years old and still operating, Mays said.

Once the RFP has been issued and a preferred vendor selected, Mays said a report will be brought back to the police board for final approval before purchase.

Mays said the current ARV has been in operation with the tactical support unit since May 2016, when Barrie police purchased it third-hand.

The current ARV was previously owned by Bruce Nuclear, and then Waterloo Regional Police Service, which stripped it down and sold it to Barrie police for $5,000.

Seen at various crime scenes and raids, Rescue 1 had cost less than $100,000 to buy, build and maintain since it was purchased in 2016 and as of November 2023.

Barrie’s total cost of making Rescue 1 was $59,513 — including the $5,000 purchase price. During the its first seven-plus years, city police spent approximately $38,000 on the ARV for repairs, annual licensing and maintenance, making the total cost $97,513 as of November 2023.

Police have said the number of times Rescue 1 has been deployed, the circumstances involved and how it is equipped are considered operational issues and not public information.

Barrie police communications co-ordinator Peter Leon has said Rescue 1's deployment is done in response to the very specific incidents, which include high-risk incidents, that involve greater potential for loss of life. It is primarily an asset that can be used to safely and effectively manage dangerous hostage-taking or armed and barricaded person calls which may arise within the city.

Spending for the new ARV should be detailed in next year’s city police budget. 

At this point, the 2025 police budget is $71.43 million, $3.9 million or 5.79 per cent more than this year.

Barrie police officials said last January that a recent financial review found a $1.2-million accumulated surplus that spanned several years.

Police said at the time this reserve was not allocated and, as a result, the police board advised the city that this money would be returned to the municipality and, in future years, any surplus will be addressed within the same budget year.

“The funds (for the new ARV) were from the year-end surplus from the 2023 fiscal year, not the accumulated surplus,” Mays said. “The accumulated surplus of $1.2 million was returned to the city as directed.”

The city’s financial policy framework has guidelines on allocating any year-end city surpluses. It recommends allocating funds to capital and stabilization reserves. Through the annual year-end report, council ultimately approves how surpluses are allocated. Service partner boards, such as city police, approve how they allocate their surplus funds.