Sarnia police to acquire 13-year-old armoured vehicle from Bruce Nuclear

Board approves purchase of 2013 armoured rescue vehicle previously used by Bruce Nuclear security teams.

The Sarnia Police Service will be acquiring a 13-year-old armoured rescue vehicle after the purchase was approved by the Sarnia Police Service Board on May 21.

The vehicle, a 2013 Terradyne Gurkha RPV previously used by Bruce Nuclear to patrol its property, will be purchased at a trade-in value cost of $20,000. Police officials said comparable vehicles can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars new.

Police armoured rescue vehicles are generally expected to remain in service for roughly 15 to 20 years, according to Canadian police fleet planning documents. Vancouver Police Department projected a “15 year economic life” for its armoured rescue vehicle in a 2008 report to city council. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police described its Tactical Armoured Vehicle fleet as having a projected working lifespan of 15 years. Chatham-Kent Police Service replaced its previous armoured rescue vehicle after about 30 years of service.

The armoured unit is designed as a defensive vehicle intended to provide protection for officers and civilians during high-risk incidents. Police leaders pointed to situations involving barricaded suspects or active violent scenes where officers may need cover while negotiating, containing a scene, or rescuing injured people.

Board members described the purchase as a rare opportunity, noting several Ontario police services, including London, Chatham-Kent, Sudbury, and Peterborough, already operate similar vehicles. The vehicle is not expected to be used in day-to-day policing and would instead be reserved for high-risk events.

According to a report prepared for the board, the vehicle carries a Level 6 ballistic rating capable of protection against armour-piercing rounds. Built on a Ford F-550 chassis, it can be driven without a special class licence and was described as suitable for urban deployment in Sarnia.

The report stated the vehicle had been maintained by Bruce Nuclear and still has an extended operational lifespan. However, the report also acknowledged additional upgrades and preparation work will be required before the unit can be deployed by Sarnia police.

Those upgrades include cosmetic paint repairs, Sarnia Police Service branding, interior detailing, rear seating installation, communications equipment integration, emergency lighting, and a complete mechanical inspection. 

A similar transfer involving a former Bruce Nuclear armoured vehicle took place in Barrie. Records obtained through a Freedom of Information request show Barrie police purchased a stripped-down armoured vehicle from Waterloo Regional Police for $5,000 in 2016. The vehicle originally came from Bruce Nuclear. Barrie police spent $59,513.43 to purchase and rebuild the unit into its “Rescue 1” vehicle, including the original purchase price. Over the following seven years, the service spent approximately $38,000 on repairs, licensing, and maintenance, bringing the total cost to $97,513.43.

Sarnia police have not released a timeline for deployment or an estimate for the full cost of preparing the aging vehicle for operational use.