SAGINAW, MI —

It's a vehicle Saginaw County Sheriff William Federspiel hopes he'll never have to use, but if the worst happens, it's something to carry his staff to a disaster.

The Saginaw County Sheriff's Department recently received a Mine Resistant Ambush Proof vehicle (MRAP) for free from the U.S. Army, meant to be a tool for some of the toughest situations law enforcement officers might encounter. The truck is among several new acquisitions at the sheriff's department, including a net gun and a stun vest.

"I honestly never want to use this vehicle," Federspiel said. "Because if I have to use it, that means something awfully bad has happened."

"As sheriff of the county, I have to put ourselves in the best position to protect our citizens and protect our property," he said. "I have to prepare for something disastrous."

The MRAP could be used in a situation of an armored gunman with high-powered weapons, Federspiel said.

"They can go ahead and fire at that with a .50-caliber weapon and they're still protected," he said.

"I don't think of myself as a 'doomsdayer,' someone who worries about the end of the world -- I don't," he said. "But I have to think about what-ifs when I'm the sheriff."

He said the vehicle is part of that plan to be prepared for the worst. Such an incident has not happened since he was elected sheriff.

"But that doesn't mean we won't have one," he said.

"We're constantly outgunned," he said, noting criminals could be carrying silencers, assault rifles and other heavy duty weapons, adding, "I need every tool I can get."

The vehicle, which is the Maxx Pro (For maximum protection) version of the MRAP, was given to the department at no cost, and there is no maintenance budget for the truck, Federspiel said. The department can obtain parts for free from the military, he said, and he plans to use drug forfeiture funds to pay for any repairs, though he expects to use the truck rarely.

The approximately 350-horsepower surplus U.S. Army vehicle has about 3,000 miles on it, he said.

The truck also features a positively charged atmosphere inside, allowing it to safely travel into areas with a chemical cloud or heavy smoke, which could help responding fire departments determine where to deploy assets at a plane crash, chemical spill or other event, he said. The MRAP is also heat-resistant.

The truck's passenger compartment is bulletproof and designed to withstand a mine blast with a v-shaped undercarriage.

"The V shape resists mine blasts away from the cab. It's very good at what it does," Undersheriff Robert Karl said, noting he found several videos online demonstrating the function. "They have struck

anti-tank mines before. The wheels blew off, the engine blew off, but the cabin was intact and the people inside were intact."

The engine compartment also has deflective surfaces for bulletproofing and the tires can't be punctured, Karl said.

The windows are covered with metal slats designed to deflect a rocket-propelled grenade attack, Karl said, and it

is equipped with fire suppression nozzles that can be used to snuff out flames outside. Separate fire

suppression

nozzles are mounted inside.

It can hold up to eight people and has a staircase in the back to deploy officers and can fit within a single traffic lane.

The 18-ton MRAP has a selectable two-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive Allison transmission. The Cummins diesel gets five to seven miles per gallon of diesel fuel and the MRAP can go up to about 65 mph and features cruise control, Karl said.

It may also be used to help deputies and others get around in blizzard conditions or other weather events, Federspiel said.

He noted only certain people will be allowed to drive the vehicle -- and that requires training.

The military uses MRAPs to transport troops and engineers working to find improvised explosive devices (IEDs). It costs the military about $425,000 but cost the sheriff's office nothing, Karl said.

It is the second former military vehicle the sheriff's office has, joining a HUMVEE used to transport a medical team for support of the Emergency Services Team that the department obtained in 2013.

Federspiel said he doesn't foresee adding another military vehicle to his fleet.

To critics concerned about "a military state" or that the truck is a sign that the military is taking over, Federspiel said their fears are misplaced.

"I'm not going to let that happen," he said. "I'm not going to let any entity to violate the Constitution because I'm sworn to uphold it. I just want to reassure people of that, that this is a tool to help protect the people of Saginaw County and their property. And we'll use every tool we have."

The only requirements from the Army is that the sheriff can't sell the MRAP and must return it to the military if he no longer wants it.

"For the people thinking the federal government is going to give it to us and one day flip a switch and it's 'robot

Federalist

reporting for duty,'" Federspiel said in a robot voice, "That's not going to happen,"

"People elected me to do a job. It's their vehicle."

Additionally, Federspiel wants the sheriff's department to be equipped to respond to major incidents without relying on federal agencies, which is something he said his constituents have supported.

Prepared for the worst

How the truck will be used depends on the situation, Federspiel said, but it will be available for the Emergency Services Team for responding to a hostile situation and also in case the team has a difficult time on a call and deputies have to mobilize to help.



It's something that could have come in handy in 1993, when a violent standoff in Saginaw forced police to improvise.

Saginaw Mayor Dennis Browning was a member of the Saginaw Police Department when he and a few other officers were sent to serve a court-ordered eviction notice to a Saginaw resident.

Instead of opening the door, someone inside the house fired a bullet through the door that struck Browning on the right side of his chest, which was covered by a bulletproof vest.

"You hear a shot and you feel it at the same time," Browning said. "You just naturally react. I was very fortunate it was not life-threatening."

The team backed off and called in support, including Emergency Services teams from Bay and Saginaw counties and the Michigan State Police.

About 52 hours later, and only after two other area law enforcement officers were also shot during exchanges of gunfire, police ended the standoff with an unconventional tool.

"They took a front-end loader that had forks and simply duct-taped bulletproof vests to it, leaving a small spot where the operator could look out. A deputy operated the front-end loader," Browning said. "Th

at's a case where you're trying to get as close as you can but yet as safely as you can. That was the best we had to work with at that time."

The deputy used the heavy machinery to pull apart the house, eventually forcing the occupants, mother-and-son Plumie and Harvest Carter, to surrender.

Undersheriff Karl was a member of the Emergency Services Team at the time and responded after initial responders met gunfire.

"If we would have had (the MRAP) back then, it would have been a lot better," Karl said.

Asked about the MRAP, Browning said he thinks it's a "wonderful tool" that could be helpful in a difficult situation.

"Vehicles like this, when they're needed, they're needed and there's no substitutes," Browning said. "Th

is is the kind of vehicle, in the right situation, this is going to minimize some dangers and possibly save lives."

He noted the value for responding to chemicals in the air or when police need to get close to a dangerous situation and rescue someone.

He also said it is a "show of force" that shows people police are prepared to defuse or eliminate any threat.

"Your imagination is the limit of what people might try to do," he said.

The sheriff has a similar philosophy and hopes the new vehicle will help.

"Let's face it, we live in a time where people and groups want to see Americans die, they don't care where it's at," Federspiel said. "We can't assume because we're in Saginaw, Michigan, that were immune to any type of attack. But because we're prepared, maybe that will deter some type of attack."

See a CNN video below about the military's use of MRAP vehicles: