Rescue Vehicle Grant Application ApprovalCopyrighted
April 7, 2025
City of Dubuque
City Council
CONSENT ITEMS # 8.
ITEM TITLE: Rescue Vehicle Grant Application Approval
SUMMARY: City Manager recommending City Council approval to apply
for the 2025 Homeland Security Grant Program to secure
funds to purchase a rescue vehicle, training, and exercises in
the amount of $451,907.
SUGGUESTED Receive and File; Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
1. MVM Memo
2. MVM Memo Rescue Vehicle Grant Application Approval 012825
Page 125 of 386
THE CITY OF
DUBE
Masterpiece on the Mississippi
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: Rescue Vehicle Grant Application Approval
DATE: April 1, 2025
Dubuque
AI WIN av
2007-2012.2013
2017*2019
Chief of Police Jeremy Jensen is recommending City Council approval to apply for the
2025 Homeland Security Grant Program to secure funds to purchase a rescue vehicle,
training, and exercises in the amount of $451,907. The Grant does not require any local
matches.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
Y
Mic ael C. Van Milligen
MCVM:sv
Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Jeremy Jensen, Chief of Police
Page 126 of 386
Dubuque
Police Department
THE CITY OF
Dubuque Law Enforcement Center
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770 Iowa Street
P.O. Box 875
Dubuque, IA 52004-0875
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(563) 589-4410
2007-2012.2013
Masterpiece on the Mississippi 2017*2019
Fax (563) 589-4497
TTY (563) 583-1711
E-mail: police@cityofdubuque.org
www.cityofdubuque.org
TO: Mike Van Milligan, City Manager
FROM: Jeremy Jensen, Chief of Police
SUBJECT: Rescue Vehicle Grant Application Approval
DATE: January 28, 2025
INTRODUCTION:
The purpose of this memo is to request approval to apply for a grant through the 2025
Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP) to secure funds to purchase a rescue
vehicle. The Grant does not require any local matches.
BACKGROUND:
The City of Dubuque and the surrounding communities of Dubuque County face a
number of significant threats to their residents and critical infrastructure. These threats,
such as terrorism, natural disasters, violent crime and mass shootings, require the city's
first responders to be constantly prepared for any critical incidents that may occur in the
area. The near constant threat of flooding in our area, due to our position along the
Mississippi River, shows the severity of the threats facing our region.
To better help the area prepare for such incidents, the City of Dubuque Police
Department sustains a highly trained Tactical Entry Team to respond to all high -risk
critical call outs that occur within our jurisdiction. For the team to effectively carry out our
mission to protect the citizens and critical infrastructure of the region, we must have
sufficient equipment to do the job. Currently, we do not have quick access and would rely
on another jurisdiction with an hours response time, to provide a vehicle which would be
capable of protecting the team and endangered civilians from ballistic and projectile
attacks. Though we have the training and experience to protect against, mitigate the
effects of, respond to and recover from terrorist attacks and natural disasters, we lack
suitable equipment to sustain our capabilities to do so.
Service People Integrity Responsibility Innovation Teamwork
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The Tactical Entry Team is responsible for responding to all incidents that exceed
the capability of patrol within our jurisdiction, including active shooters, hostage situations
and barricaded gunmen. This vehicle offers hardened walls and blast proof windows that
protect passengers from ballistic and projectile attacks, allowing our team to deploy
directly into hot zones (areas that have active threats and are highly dangerous) to
respond to ongoing emergencies. On top of this, the vehicle offers 4-wheel drive
capability, run flat tires and the potential to reach highway speeds, helping us to respond
to calls throughout our entire jurisdiction in all road conditions. These capabilities will allow
us to work off road when responding to emergencies in the most rural and remote areas
of the county, while still being able to react quickly to incidents taking place within
Dubuque. The off -road capabilities, along with the vehicle's heightened ground clearance,
will enable us to maneuver over road debris in the aftermath of natural disasters such as
tornados and to navigate flood prone roadways along the Mississippi River or any of the
area's numerous other waterways. The vehicle can carry the entire team in full tactical
gear and can fit up to 20 civilians in need of rescue or evacuation from violent incidents
or natural disasters.
In addition to protecting officers and civilians from ballistic attack, the Rescue and
Response Vehicle will also increase our cooperative efforts with other area first
responders, improving our ability to respond to terrorist attacks, natural disasters or other
mass casualty events. With this vehicle, we will be able to provide better protection while
EMS units attempt to treat the wounded in volatile areas. The vehicle's various features
will also allow us to work with paramedics and area fire units in performing rescues in
adverse conditions, such as during flooding events when standard emergency response
vehicles aren't able to deploy due to their low ground clearance, or in the aftermath of
tornados, flash floods, or other natural disasters when our area's fire trucks and
ambulances aren't able to access affected areas due to debris or damaged roadways.
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With the acquisition of a new Emergency Rescue Vehicle, the Dubuque Police
Department will be able to respond to critical incidents more quickly and reliably than is
currently possible. With the safety provided by the trucks' hardened walls and windows
we will be able enter hot zones to protect our officers, rescue civilians and increase the
likelihood of a quick and positive resolution to incidents.
To sustain the capabilities supporting this project, we will provide our team with
regular training on this vehicle so that we can build and maintain a high level of
proficiency. Our department will maintain the vehicle so that it remains in a constant state
of operational readiness, and we will use our own resources to provide regular upkeep
so that the vehicle lasts its expected 18-20 years.
Multiple federal government agencies have complimented the effectiveness of this
type of vehicle in responding to critical incidents. They affirm its capability to protect
responding personnel and citizenry during HazMat and mass casualty incidents.
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Furthermore, these agencies and law enforcement agencies throughout the country
currently use these vehicles as a key tool to prevent acts of terrorism. The Dubuque PD
Tactical Entry Team needs this equipment so that we can continue to protect against,
mitigate the effects of, respond to and recover from terrorism and natural disasters. This
investment will increase integration among first responders allowing us to protect against
the widest variety of hazards so that we can fulfill our duty to safeguard our immediate
and surrounding communities.
Total Grant Request:
-Equipment: $412,457
-Training: $ 39,450
$451,907 (Federal Share)
ACTION REQUESTED:
I am respectfully requesting approval to apply for the Rescue Vehicle Grant in the
amount of $451,907 to fund equipment, training, and exercises.
By: Captain Brad Shannon; Emergency Operations Commander
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