They look like some of SWAT's toughest vehicles, but the MedCat is designed to make medical rescues under fire.It resembles a SWAT vehicle, but the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department MedCat is designed for emergency medical rescues.
"The fire department is limited to how far they can penetrate into a hot zone," said Sgt. Kamal Ahmad with the LASD's emergency services detail. "That's where we come into play." But the MedCat hosts a crew of three paramedics, with all the lifesaving equipment you'd find on a regular ambulance. During that 1997 incident, two heavily armed bank robbers wearing body armor engaged in a violent, lengthy shootout with police that left about 20 officers and civilians injured. The robbers appeared to have more powerful firearms and armor than officers, a realization which spurred many changes in law enforcement.