Military surplus vehicle helped Horry County police rescue six during flood

Michael Bowers caught a glimpse of Iraq on his way to the mailbox last week.

As a heavily-armored Caiman vehicle rumbled down Copperhead Road, Bowers recognized the 60,000-pound behemoth from his days in the U.S. Army.

“It kind of freaked me out when it passed my house,” he said. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’”

But when the 15-year veteran learned that Horry County police were using the giant truck as a rescue vehicle, Bowers said the idea made sense.

“That’s a good tool,” he said.

At least six other people would agree. They were pulled out of stranded vehicles by officers riding on Rescue 1 (the Caiman) as swift-moving waters overtook Conway roads on Oct. 4.

The recent flood marked the first major disaster for the county’s big vehicle, and had it not been part of the police department’s fleet, officials say they may not have been able to reach those marooned travelers.

“Obviously, our patrol vehicles aren’t going to make it through,” said Sgt. Ashley Hardee, who is among the handful of county officers capable of driving Rescue 1. “So we really don’t have anything thing else that would be able to get into a flooded area.”

The county obtained the vehicle through a federal program administered by the S.C. Budget and Control Board. The sand-colored Caiman stands nearly 10 feet high and more than 8 feet wide. It can carry a crew of 10 and power through water as deep as 3 feet.

When county police rolled out Rescue 1 earlier this year, the decision raised some eyebrows.

Although the military has been sending surplus equipment to police departments across the country for more than a decade, the practice drew scrutiny last year amid the violence in Ferguson, Mo.

Critics decried the presence of tear gas plumes, snipers and other military-style equipment as sending the wrong message about law enforcement’s role.

Yet overall, local officials describe the reception of Rescue 1 as mostly positive.

“You would think it would be the other way around, but people are interested in it,” Hardee said. “[They] take pictures of it. The kids like it. It’s a cool truck.”

Debates about perception aside, county police have long stressed that their primary motive for acquiring Rescue 1 was to assist during disasters like the one they encountered last week.

“Rescues in hazardous situations,” said Scott Rutherford, HCPD’s deputy chief over special operations, the division that operates Rescue 1. “[It’s for] Mother Nature-related events: flooding, hurricanes, stuff like that. Because of its height, being able to traverse deep water ... that was one of the selling points when were looking at getting this thing.”

As water blanketed Conway’s Main Street on Oct. 4, officers fired up Rescue 1 to help get emergency workers and managers to and from the M.L. Brown Public Safety Building, which houses the county’s Emergency Operations Center.

“At one point,” Rutherford said, “that was the only vehicle that could get in and out of this parking lot.”

Once the necessary staff was in place, Rescue 1 began searching for vehicles that were caught in the flash flooding around Conway.

The massive truck would pull up to a stranded vehicle and officers would help the occupants climb onto Rescue 1’s back steps. In one instance, Rutherford said, some people were rescued just before their car slid away.

Before the flood, Rescue 1’s action had been limited to a few SWAT calls. With its thick armor, the Caiman can protect officers during other dangerous situations.

But the main reason for the large addition was what happened last week.

“It paid off,” Rutherford said. “It paid off well.”

This story was originally published October 12, 2015 at 6:16 PM with the headline "Military surplus vehicle helped Horry County police rescue six during flood."