BATTLE CREEK, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office has acquired an all-terrain vehicle that officials say will significantly enhance their ability to respond to emergencies in the county’s most remote and rugged areas.
It was purchased with funds from Ford Community Relations.
Ford Community Relations director Gabby Bruno says they “recognize the importance of public safety, and this donation is one of many in the Calhoun County area since the BlueOval Battery Park Michigan project was announced in 2022.”
Sheriff Hinkley highlighted the department’s ongoing commitment to improving response strategies, especially following three notable incidents in 2024. The Calhoun County Sheriff’s Alert Dive Team was called to the Kalamazoo River in Marshall Township, Emmett Township, and near Custer Drive in Battle Creek, where local responders and the dive team rescued 23 individuals from the water. Despite successful rescues with no reported injuries, these incidents sparked meaningful conversations about future response strategies in Calhoun County.
The donation from Ford provides the Sheriff’s Department with an ATV, enabling quicker access to these hard-to-reach areas and allowing first responders to transport equipment and small rescue boats more effectively. This will ensure that the department’s dive team can respond rapidly to water rescues and other emergencies in areas where larger vehicles are inaccessible.
The ATV will carry essential rescue equipment into challenging terrain, including dive gear and small canoes, allowing the dive team to reach individuals in distress more quickly and efficiently.
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