Taking command in an emergency
Matthew Tso goes inside a Fire and Emergency New Zealand command unit.
Other emergency vehicles get all the glory, while Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s unobtrusive command vehicle quietly gets on with its job.
At first sight, this unit might appear to be useless for fighting fires, as it has no ladders or hoses. But inside it is a mobile office, equipped with radios, computers and phones, as well as wi-fi – all of which is run off on-board generators.
It carries six pods containing equipment for dealing with hazardous materials, a highdefinition camera attached to a retractable mast, and a TV screen on its exterior to relay information to people immediately outside the truck.
‘‘In terms of management, it would be one of the most important vehicles [at a scene],’’ Wellington assistant area commander Michael Dombroski says. ‘‘We’d be pretty hard done by without it.’’
Wellington’s command vehicle is one of 18 identical DAF-brand trucks spread across the country, co-ordinating operations, keeping track of resources and relaying information to whoever needs it.
It forms part of the ‘‘second alarm’’, to be sent to the relatively rare incidents that cannot be contained by the first responders.
Wellington’s unit was dispatched to 182 incidents out of the nearly 7500 callouts attended by firefighters in the year since June 1, 2016, covering the area south of Otaki,¯ the Hutt Valley and Wellington.
‘‘It’s great for briefing crews and other groups as they arrive. We don’t all have to cram inside,’’ Dombroski says.
‘‘It’s a visual assembly point. It’s where people head when they need to find the people in charge or need information.’’
The systems contained in the back of the 6.5-metre-long truck are so sophisticated that its operators can find and track fire trucks in real-time. They can even see whether or not individual trucks have their lights and sirens on.
The command vehicle is permanently staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week by a driver and an officer in charge. All those who operate the onboard technology have to undergo training and testing to prove their competence. ‘‘It’s a very specialised vehicle with specialised staff operating it,’’ Dombroski explains.
It is used for a range of incidents, not just fire emergencies. It can be deployed to any emergency that requires a command post, and can be used by different agencies.
While the systems would be operated by Fire and Emergency staff, the centre can be run by other emergency agencies, such as the police. It can also be used to co-ordinate events such as serious accidents, natural disasters or terrorist attacks.
Dombroski says the technology in the latest command units, which were introduced about 2010, is a huge leap forward from the more basic Mitsubishi command trucks that they replaced.
Operators just have to be careful not to overload themselves with all the available information. ‘‘We’re information rich. Every piece of information is important – just not all at the same time.’’
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