At Elkhart Trailer Company, we are known for providing our customers with custom built Command Center Vehicles! We take pride in building mobile command trucks and trailers that are used in a variety of situations offering many variations of sizes and customization’s across a multitude of industries such as Police & Military, Oil, Gas & Mining, Fire Departments, Entertainment, and so many more! If you are wondering if a Mobile Command Center could be right for your business, give us a call and we will work to answer your questions regarding your industry needs.
What is the purpose of a Mobile Command Center?“Mobile command centers serve as communication hubs during emergency situations such as bomb threats, demonstrations, fires or natural disasters. They can also be used to conduct strategy meetings and other tactical operations.” GSA.gov
What is a Mobile Command Center?
According to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Command_center“a command center or command centre (often called a war room) is any place that is used to provide centralized command for some purpose.
While frequently considered to be a military facility, these can be used in many other cases by governments or businesses. The term “war room” is also often used in politics to refer to teams of communications people who monitor and listen to the media and the public, respond to inquiries, and synthesize opinions to determine the best course of action. If all functions of a command center are located in a single room this is often referred to as a control room.
A command center enables an organization to function as designed, to perform day-to-day operations regardless of what is happening around it, in a manner in which no one realizes it is there but everyone knows who is in charge when there is trouble.
Conceptually, a command center is a source of leadership and guidance to ensure that service and order is maintained, rather than an information center or help desk. Its tasks are achieved by monitoring the environment and reacting to events, from the relatively harmless to a major crisis, using predefined procedures.”
When is a Command Center most needed? When emergencies and natural man-made disasters occur a mobile command center becomes a vital component to any mission. While deploying manpower and equipment is important, managing the situation is critical to any mission. Where time is of the essence, a make-shift command center on the hood of a patrol car is less than ideal. Mobile Command Centers are dispatched to a scene of an emergency to act as a hub for communications and relay time-sensitive information. The mobility of a self-contained trailer allows for the trailer to be inserted wherever it may be needed most.
Where will my Command Center Team host meetings? Most of our mobile command centers have a comfortable and functional conference area to allow for critical incident management meetings. The introduction of NIMS/ICS brought major changes to the way natural and man-made disasters are managed. Most notably, there is a greater priority placed on bringing other functional areas into the briefings. For example, today’s hurricane response units likely have someone from law enforcement, fire, emergency management, military, budget & planning, department of transportation, etc. meeting in the Command Center for briefings!
Should I invest in a Mobile Command Center? “The case for investing in a mobile command center for police departments and other public safety agencies is strong – they’re easily customizable, can be as high-tech as you need them to be, and they’re appropriate for a wide variety of use cases.
With the proper mobile command center, police officers and first responders have the ability to host all of their necessary functions in a single area, all while being able to move throughout their community as needed.
As public safety technology and 911 Communications continue to evolve, the benefits for investing in a mobile command center are as compelling as ever.” –Lisa MacGillivrayChiComm Blog
What are the Benefits of a Mobile Command Center? A mobile command center typically includes some combination of multiple workstations (often four to six), a conference area, video surveillance features, and even a bathroom. They truly are comprehensive solutions for the public safety sector.
A Mobile Command Center allows personnel to:
Stay Safe and Dry
Before you even get into all of the safety features loaded into a mobile command center, you can step back and look at the unit for what it is: a large truck. During extreme (or just unpleasant) weather situations, police officers will be able to congregate in a single area, stay safe and dry, and continue research or paperwork in a secure location.
If officers are corresponding with other public safety offices during a storm, the MCC serves as a hub directly in the action that can be used to connect those from multiple departments at once (think EMS, fire departments, etc.). While MCCs offer a lot of value to public safety departments, the most basic offering they have is shelter.
Better Protect the Public During Events
When a city hosts an event, including anything from a parade to a concert or celebration, keeping the public safe is the top priority. By deploying mobile command centers and synchronizing them with wireless surveillance cameras, you essentially place more eyes on the streets and the people on them, at all times.
By locating your command center in the heart of a city or event, you place decision-makers right where they need to be – the community.
Analyze Evidence Immediately
The beauty of a mobile command center is its flexibility. As noted above, these units often include multiple workspaces and even a conference table/area, meaning there is plenty of space to use for whatever you need. This can (and often does) include an immediate crime lab right in the vehicle.
In situations where evidence cannot be easily moved from the crime scene to the station, or where immediate analysis is appropriate, officers are able to use the MCC as a mobile crime lab and test evidence right at the scene. This can allow for more immediate information to be given, meaning quicker and more accurate decisions to be made.
Respond to High-Risk Events Effectively
When you have a crime in progress, especially a potentially high-risk crime such as a standoff or hostage situation, there are many features officers may require at the same time, including video surveillance, wireless communication, and wireless networking. Fortunately, by deploying a mobile command center, you ensure that all of these services are readily available at the scene.
This can eliminate wait time between the officers on scene and those back at command central or headquarters. By doing that, you speed up the decision-making process and provide more support for your officers.
Mobile command centers are also handy to have on hand for non-emergencies, such as:
Public Safety Career Fairs
Mobile command centers can provide a high-profile way to show citizens what public safety is all about. In Valdosta, Ga., public safety agencies used their mobile command center at a Public Safety Career Expo to “demonstrate some tactical and rescue tools used in real-life scenarios.”
The event included a few dozen local and state public safety agencies, including the fire and police departments, EMS, the 9-1-1 Emergency Call Center and the Georgia Department of Labor. Local colleges and universities with public safety training programs were also invited.
Tax Assistance Events
Countless communities use their mobile command centers to help taxpayers on the go. In New York, for example, Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent the state’s Mobile Command Center filled with Tax Department employees to help guide residents in the Bronx and Queens through the online return preparation and filing process.
Mobile command centers are no longer a “nice-to-have” feature in public service, they are quickly becoming a staple of an effective department. Having a mobile command center at the ready can ensure public safety agencies have not only the manpower but the technology, resources and coordination they need in case of an emergency.-Lisa MacGillivray of ChiComm Blog
How important is it for our company to invest in a Mobile Command Center?
“Of all the hardware a public safety agency can bring to an incident, a mobile command vehicle (MCV) is arguably the most impressive. These vehicles are available in a variety of sizes and configurations ranging from small to extra-large. As both natural and man-made disasters continue to expand in scale, these vehicles offer localities an asset that enables communication and coordination between multiple responding agencies.” –Tim Dees of PoliceOne
Why should I buy a Mobile Command Center from Elkhart Trailer Company?
At Elkhart Trailer Company,our goal truly is to work alongside you to create the Specialty Mobile Command Center that is custom designed for your exact needs, specs, and wants! We’ll make sure to meet your expectations in your purchase with us by working with your ideas to plan and build the specialty trailer you want! We understand the importance of storage, comfort, meeting space, technology and aesthetics for your mobile command center vehicle. Our designers are experienced and highly trained, with a full understanding of trailers, of what can and can’t be done, and how to engineer even elaborate new concepts to help you win! Let us assist you in the build of the right Mobile Command Center trailer for your specific needs!
