On Wednesday June 23, members from the Cleburne County Sheriff's Office, Saline County Sheriff's Office, and Commission on Law Enforcement Standards and Training (CLEST) participated in joint training covering the operation of armored rescue vehicles (ARVs).  As a result of the training, members of both Sheriff's Offices, along with agents from CLEST, were certified in driving techniques and operations specific to these armored vehicles.  The training included proper maintenance, inspection, and operation procedures, as well as rescue techniques and team work.  The training was conducted at Rosebud Off-Road Park in Rosebud, Arkansas where drivers were required to maneuver the ARVs through a series of obstacles, including mud, water, inclines, declines, serpentines, and backing obstacles.

ARVs are used by law enforcement agencies all over the world in different capacities, and have been a great tool for navigating difficult terrain and high waters to rescue people during and after natural disasters, and for keeping police officers safe during high-risk operations.  

Cleburne County received an ARV for free through the LESO program (Law Enforcement Support Office), with the emphasis placed on using it as a rescue vehicle during incidents such as the tornado that struck Cleburne County in September of 2020.  Because ARVs are highly sought after by law enforcement agencies, and because they are available at no cost to the agencies through the LESO program, they can be very difficult to obtain. 

As a community, and as a Sheriff's Office, I believe we are very blessed to have received one of these ARVs, especially for free.  This will be a valuable resource for us, and we're very excited to be able to add the unique capabilities of the ARV to the Sheriff's Office's "toolbox" for serving Cleburne County.  We'd also like to say a special thank you to the Saline County Sheriff's Office for putting on the training and bringing two of their ARVs, and Rosebud Off Road Park for allowing us to use their facility for training.  Look for our ARV at a community event near you!

-Sheriff Chris Brown