COMMAND VEHICLE READY FOR WORK
Starting this week, city police will begin deploying their new mobile command vehicle. Clara Ho explains what makes this technical marvel so special and how police will put it to use.
Q Why is the vehicle needed?
A Following the 2013 flood, a mobile support vehicle was classified as a “community priority, based on its ability to provide command and logistic support at a disaster site.”
The new vehicle is a replacement for the old Calgary police mobile command vehicle, which acting deputy chief Ray Robitaille calls a “critical piece of equipment” used to respond to highrisk calls and large, complex events.
Q How much did the vehicle cost?
A There was $1.3 million set aside for the vehicle, but it came in under budget at $900,000.
Q Who can operate the vehicle?
A Robitaille said 25 police officers have been trained to drive the vehicle and run all of the technology contained in the new command centre.
Q What is the vehicle designed to do?
A The vehicle will be deployed in natural disasters, emergencies, large community gatherings and events, search and rescue situations, as well as high-risk situations where space for police negotiation is required.
Q What else makes the vehicle special?
A The vehicle has a Freightliner chassis, and a custom-designed re-mountable body, which means the chassis can be replaced in the coming years when necessary. It can also access existing Calgary Police Service networks, including the HAWCS telecommunications link, and has a lifetime warranty.
“We can access all of our IT systems, our information remotely from anywhere in Calgary, and even if the network goes down we have satellite back-up, so what you have is the people who are commanding a scene, whether it’s a response to an emergency such as the flood (or) a terrorist event, will be able to have all the information that they need to make the right decisions,” said Robitaille.