Communication Trucks Will Soon Blanket Ohio
At a cost of $440,000 each, paid for by Federal Homeland Security Act grants, Ohio will soon begin positioning the first of 11 mobile communications trucks throughout the state. The trucks will assist law enforcement in communications during emergencies, such as ice storms, floods, terrorist attacks, or other disasters.
Using the trucks, officers can access the Internet, send and receive faxes, make copies, print digital photographs, communicate with numerous law enforcement agencies in the state, conduct meetings in a conference room, and perform crime lab functions.
The state plans to position the other 10 trucks by the end of 2005 in order to bring about 97 percent of the state’s population to within 50 miles of a truck, according to state officials who believe trucks will be more efficient and faster than help provided by the Emergency Management Agency.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Associated Press (05/14/05) .