Students at the Bristol Technical Education Center worked on a special assignment that will help make Connecticut a safer place to live. Welding, Electronics and Manufacturing students teamed up to refurbish a military amphibious vehicle for the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team, a special unit made up of officers from several police departments of southwestern Connecticut municipalities.

Students in the Welding program fabricated and installed metal plating throughout the vehicle to protect it from gunfire and explosions. They also designed, manufactured and attached a battering ram and repainted the vehicle's interior and exterior. Electronics students installed new lights and video cameras and have put in new wiring throughout. Using Computer Numerical Computing technology, Manufacturing students designed and fabricated new bullet-proof windows.

On Friday, February 15th, an official ceremony was held at Bristol TEC in which the revamped vehicle was handed over to officials from the Southwest Regional Emergency Response Team. The vehicle will be used for all types of emergency situations including SWAT and rescue missions. The project has indeed been a team effort by the students at Bristol TEC. They are using their newly learned technical skills to help protect Connecticut.