Communications Hub—

Police Primed For Major Incidents With Command Vehicle

By Andrew Gorosko

Stored out of sight, but continually kept electrically powered to have it ready for action when needed, the police department’s new command vehicle stands at the ready inside a garage at the south end of the police station.

When needed for a call, police would disconnect the Ford E-450 truck from a 240-volt AC power source and would drive to the scene of an emergency, where an on-board 7-kilowatt gasoline-powered generator would provide independent electricity for the vehicle’s operation.

Police have been outfitting the seven-ton truck with equipment that will be useful to them when the vehicle is used as a mobile command post at a range of emergencies.

The boxy white truck is trimmed with reflective, blue and gold lettering and striping, which makes the vehicle glow in the dark when illuminated by headlamps.

After town police obtained various clearances to use the multiple radio frequencies employed by other public safety agencies in the area, the command vehicle became available for full service early this year, said Lieutenant George Sinko, who heads the police department’s operations unit.

The truck holds a variety of two-way radio equipment that will allow town police to communicate with many other government agencies, a feature that would be very useful in an emergency. The vehicle has both analog and digital communications capabilities, Lt Sinko said.

Communications “interoperability” is an essential aspect of such a police vehicle, whose approximately $98,000 price was covered by a grant from the US Department of Homeland Security and by drug assets forfeiture funds.

In March 2006, the Police Commission endorsed purchasing the command vehicle. Farber Specialty Vehicles of Columbus, Ohio, fabricated it.

The new vehicle replaces a former Newtown Volunteer Ambulance Corps ambulance that police had refitted for use as a command vehicle. However, that ambulance was in poor physical condition and provided insufficient space for use as a command vehicle, police said.

The new command vehicle will be used for a range of incidents during which police would need a command/communications post in the field. Such incidents include weather-related emergencies including flooding and windstorms, homicide investigations, major motor vehicle accidents, environmental emergencies, public health emergencies, and bomb threats. The truck carries forensics equipment for detective work in the field.

The heated and air-conditioned vehicle can carry up to eight people. It is equipped with two computers that are wirelessly linked to the police’s computer network. The interior holds multiple storage cabinets, counter space, and a table for conferences. The vehicle’s design allows people to easily move between the truck’s cab and its work area at the rear.

“It’s a multipurpose vehicle,” which is adaptable to various uses, said Detective Joe Joudy.

The truck is equipped with two lighting masts, allowing it to illuminate the scenes of nighttime investigations, Det Joudy said. That equipment also allows police to light their nighttime sobriety checkpoints.

Police have used the command vehicle about ten times since last fall, Det Joudy said. The truck, which is powered by a gasoline engine, is not designed for off-road use.

Police took delivery of the command vehicle in early 2007 and outfitted it across the course of a year.

Lt Sinko said town police specified what features they wanted in the vehicle to make it a useful tool for them.

Lt James Mooney, who formerly headed the police operations unit, oversaw the acquisition and outfitting of the command vehicle. Lt Mooney now heads the police department’s administrative unit. Lt Mooney and Lt Sinko recently switched their job duties.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said of the command vehicle, “It’ll be the central focal point of any critical event in town,” serving as a communications hub for police activity.

“It’s a very, very well put together vehicle,” he said.

Chief Kehoe estimates the vehicle, which would receive relatively little mileage during the course of its life, should be in use for ten to 20 years.