Calgary’s armoured rescue vehicle set to retire

CALGARY (660 NEWS) – The Calgary Police Service is saying farewell to a member of the force that’s been there for 12 years.

CPS is replacing the Armoured Rescue Vehicle (ARV) as it comes to the end of its life cycle with an updated model.

The vehicle is being replaced due to high maintenance costs and replacement parts that are no longer available.

In 2018, the ARV responded to 500 calls in the Calgary area, including several high-profile calls such as the Abbeydale shooting in March 2018 where a CPS member was shot.

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CPS also relied on the ARV during the response to the floods in June 2013 to assist in rescuing citizens.

The ARV is routinely deployed in high-risk situations, including responding to stolen vehicles, persons barricaded with weapons, and to execute high-risk warrants where there is a known potential for danger.

Calgary police first used an armoured vehicle in 1974 during an incident, dubbed ‘Black Friday,’ which involved a lengthy shootout that injured several officers and killed one, Det. Boyd Davidson.

During that incident, the Service borrowed an armoured vehicle from a Canadian Armed Forces base in Calgary. The events of Black Friday demonstrated the need for a police unit with specialized tools and training and led to the creation of the Service’s first Tactical Unit.

In 2007, the Service purchased it’s own ARV, which has been heavily used over the last 12 years.

The Tactical Unit will continue to use the old ARV over the next few months as members are trained and become familiar with the new one.