Belknap County Sheriff’s Office refurbishes armored rescue vehicle

LACONIA — The Belknap County Sheriff’s Office recently received its 2003 Lenco Bearcat Armored Rescue Vehicle to be put back in service after a full refurbishment of the exterior.

Irwin Collision Center donated the labor for the preparation and painting of the ARV. The paint supplies were donated by NAPA Auto Parts - Sanel’s of Laconia.

The vehicle was first purchased in 2004 under Sheriff Dan Collis, through a Homeland Security Grant to support the Belknap County Special Operations Group. It cost $200,000.

The 20-year-old ARV is built on a Ford F550 chassis and has 25,000 miles on its diesel engine. The thick steel box is a protective shield designed to stop bullets from harming SWAT Operators while responding to volatile shooting incidents. This ARV was shot at while being used in a shooting incident in Gilmanton in May 2020.

The refurbishment included a fresh coat of green paint, new and repurposed emergency lighting, and Belknap County Sheriff graphics.

“We are hopeful this vehicle will remain in service for at least another 10-15 years,” said Sheriff William Wright. “We will continue to keep the maintenance up. These were certainly appreciated and generous donations made by Irwin Motors and NAPA, which saved Belknap County residents thousands of tax dollars.”

“The ARV had been driven for many years by retired Meredith Police Chief John P. Curran who was an active member of the BRSOG until he passed away in May 2022,” said Chief Deputy Jim McIntire. “In Memory of Chief Curran we named the ARV with a decal located over the front windshield, ‘The Chief.’”