Macomb County Sheriff Ready To Say, “Let’s Roll”
The Macomb County Sheriff’s Department has a new $150,000 mobile command center equipped with four dispatch stations, a self-contained cell phone system, a remote-controlled camera on a 30-foot extension pole, surveillance equipment, a meeting room that can accommodate up to 20 people, an electronic chalkboard that can send instructions by fax, and an electric generator “that’ll light up a city,” according to Sheriff’s Capt. Dave Teske.
The converted RV replaces a converted ambulance, offering more comfort for officers responding to situations such as hostage takings that can take days to resolve.
The mobile crisis center was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency as part of efforts to revamp local public safety agencies. A second, smaller mobile command unit will be shared with local communities for disaster response and other emergency needs.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from the Detroit Free Press (07/02/06); Christoff, Chris .