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TC helps purchase new robotFeb 28, 2009 (Corning Observer - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- It's not often you hear of someone giving away $57,000, but that is exactly what the Tehama County Sheriff's Office has done. The Shasta County Sheriff's Department's bomb squad will use the donated funds to help buy a remote-controlled robot. "From our Office of Homeland Security grant of more than $200,000, the $57,000 had to be used for improvised explosive devices, but since we don't have any we thought it would be best to give the funds to the Shasta County bomb squad, which provides its services to Tehama County," Tehama County Sheriff Clay Parker said. "This was a way for us to show our gratitude for the services they have given us." According to Undersheriff Dennis Garton, the Shasta bomb squad has assisted the Tehama department at least five times within the past year. Parker said he contacted Shasta County to ask how they could best use the funds. "They couldn't believe we were actually wanting to give them the funds," he said. "Shasta County said if the funds could be donated to them, they would use it to help purchase an upgraded robot." Parker then had to get permission from Washington, D.C., to donate the funds to Shasta County. "We got the same response from Washington that we got from Shasta County," he said. "they couldn't believe we wanted to give away money." After jumping through a few bureaucratic hoops with the help of County Counsel Arthur Wylene, the deed was accomplished Tuesday with the unanimous approval of the Tehama County Board of Supervisors. Shasta County Sheriff Tom Bosenko said the purchase of the robot is actually a partnership between Tehama, Trinity and Shasta counties "We are pooling our funds to be able to make this purchase," he said. "The new state-of-the-art robot will be a great asset to the north state." The new Remotec Andros F6A robot will cost $203,985. "It will be a much improved robot over the one we currently have," Bosenko said. Compared to the old robot, the new robot has a longer communications range, greater load capacity, longer reach, better lighting and greater ability to negotiate stairs. "It will give our bomb squad technicians much better safety in handling suspected and actual bomb devices," said Bosenko. "And it will greatly reduce the need for persons to approach a threatening device as it can pick up and place a device to a safe place and distance away from people." The robot is also capable of transmitting video, photos and X-rays back to a technician controlling the machine with a joystick. To see more of the Corning Observer or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to www.corning-observer.com. Copyright (c) 2009, Corning Observer, Calif. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. For reprints, email [email protected], call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA. |