A new, grant-funded Special Weapons and Tactics vehicle is giving the Erie Bureau of Police the ability to do more when called on in emergency situations, Police Chief Dan Spizarny said.
The 2025 Teradyne Gurkha armored rescue carrier, which city officials unveiled Sept. 25, has the same protective features its previous SWAT armored vehicle had. But it also has a number of new features that will better serve the officers responding to critical incidents and better protect citizens, Spizarny said.
“Our previous armored car was over 15 years old, and it was very basic. It provided protection to the occupants inside, and that was about it,” he said.
The new vehicle’s features include emergency medical equipment and a fire suppression system that will enable its users to put water on a fire if one breaks out. Spizarny noted incidents in Millcreek Township a few years ago and in the city about 15 years ago in which an armed and barricaded suspect set fire to a residence, and he said firefighters can’t approach a burning building if a gunman is on the loose.
The new SWAT vehicle additionally has a higher clearance and better off-road capabilities and is equipped with a camera system to help in the search for people, whether it’s a suspect, a missing child or someone who wandered away and is missing, Spizarny said.
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The vehicle was paid for with a $487,750 grant received from the Commonwealth Financing Authority Local Share Account the city applied for in 2023.
The Erie SWAT Team serves the city and Erie County, as well as four neighboring counties. It responded to 52 call-outs in 2024 and to 42 so far this year, city officials reported.
Staff writer Kevin Flowers contributed to this story.
Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@gannett.com.

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