BSO Gets New, Custom Bomb Squad Truck

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FT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) - A gift for the Broward Sheriff's Office came in the form of rapid response.

On Monday, Sheriff Gregory Tony received the keys to a 550 truck custom made for the bomb squad.

The truck is outfitted with an X-ray machine that allows deputies to photograph just about anything and see what's inside in real time. It also comes equipped with a robot and other essential gear needed to respond to emergencies quickly.

It's a truck that was born out of tragedy.

In 2017 deputies responded to a mass critical incident at Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport. There was a gunman inside, five people had been killed, six others injured. When deputies flooded the area they realized there was a problem, their truck was too big.

"They had an issue bringing the bomb squad to Terminal 2. There were cars left in the middle of the road, it was hard to maneuver, they couldn't maneuver so they had them running into the building with equipment which is very heavy," said Juan Arias, Executive Director of the Sheriff's Foundation of Broward.

Arias said in the wake of the shooting they reached out to the department and asked what they needed. The answer was - a new truck.

Arias said thanks to quick work by leaders and lawmakers, like Senator Lauren Book and State Representative Bobby Dubose, they were able to secure the funding for a sleek new design.

The truck cost $162,000.