SALT LAKE CITY (ABC4) – A Mobile Command Center (MCC) is a vehicle such as a bus, trailer, or van that is used as a workspace or storage area for equipment.
Here are a few reasons why an MCC might be used:
Crime Labs: Public safety workers can get results done quickly.
Bomb Units: If a bomb-threat situation were to arise then the equipment necessary for bomb squads can be accessed quickly.
Large event security: Wide surveillance can be used inside an MCC to monitor the safety of guests.
Search and rescue: If a missing person case were to arise, communication and supplies can be passed quickly to all units.
Temporary workstation: With many police officers and safety crews far from their main locations, a Mobile Command Center can act as a temporary workstation with the necessary equipment.
Over the weekend, Salt Lake City saw one of their Mobile Command Centers deployed for General Conference.
Joe Dougherty from the Utah Department of Public Safety told ABC4, “General Conference brings thousands of people to downtown Salt Lake. Our Mobile Command Vehicle served as an incident command post for officers working that weekend and assigned to monitoring for any safety concerns.”
The 45-foot vehicle has 9 workstations with computers, satellite data, and satellite television.
Its external camera is a color camera with thermal and infrared capability. It can patch radios of various frequencies, monitor radio channels and it can run electricity for weeks on its generator. It can also drive anywhere in the state on a tank of diesel.
The vehicle has deployed to various natural disasters, such as wildfires and floods, and has served as an incident command post or joint information center (coordination center for public information officers) over the past 10 years.