Wow!!! Tempe spends almost a half million bucks on a fancy dancy bomb squad truck and robot!!! I wonder how many bomb threats the tempe cops get every year. and how often this spiffy rolls royce bomb truck will be used. and the accoutant in me asks how much will each call cost. if the truck responsd to 100 calls over its life time that will be a measly cost of $4,250 for each use of the truck. that doesnt include the wages paid to the cops. what a bargin if somebody else is paying the bill! Original Article Squad truck, robot to tackle Tempe bomb threats Sarah Muench The Arizona Republic Apr. 19, 2006 12:00 AM The Tempe police bomb squad has two new tools to help defuse possible threats - and both cost as much as many Tempe homes. Police say the $240,000 bomb squad truck, the newest one in the state, will be the primary response vehicle for all calls for hazardous devices or explosives. Everything we would need for this type of incident is on board," said Sgt. Dan Masters, a Tempe police spokesman. "We have gone from a small enclosed trailer and sport utility vehicle packed with equipment to a state-of-the-art mobile command center," Masters said. "It will dramatically improve our ability to not only respond to calls that warrant such a response but also, with the upgrades in equipment we now have, it will provide for a much safer environment for our guys." Designed by the department, the truck includes 800 megahertz communication radios, wireless remote control, three flat-screen LCD panels, a 20-foot pressurized mast with a camera, an alarm system and an observation deck. The 800 MHz radios will help Tempe police, firefighters and federal officials communicate with each other rather than using dispatchers or cellphones. Funded by an Urban Area Security Initiative Grant, the bomb vehicle was built in Burlington, Wis., by LDV Inc. In addition to the bomb vehicle, police also received a new $185,000 remote-controlled robot that can be used to approach suspicious items, packages or devices. The robot, which also can X-ray, photograph or dismantle devices, was funded by a federal homeland security grant.