Carroll County to seek FEMA/GEMA funds for armored skid steer for public safety and response

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.