Brooklyn Center’s New Mobile Command Brings Emergency Responders Together On Scene
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Garett Flesland said his department’s mobile command post unit is so old, it was put on the road before he was legally able to drive. The fire department’s unit was nearly that old.
Brooklyn Center’s new Mobile Command Unit is shared among the fire department, police department, and emergency management.
“Neither one of the vehicles was used by the city on a daily basis, but yet both (are) important assets to have,” said Chief Flesland. “So it just made sense, fiscally, financially to really look at: ‘Hey, I think we can really meet all of these needs in one vehicle.'”
That was how the idea for Mobile Command, the city’s new on-the-road emergency response headquarters, came to be.
“It can be used in a lot of different scenarios, both by the police department and the fire department at the same time, as well. We have room inside for interview space, we have room inside for respite from the weather,” said Fire Chief Todd Berg. “It has an awning on it. We can use it on a freeway emergency, a larger incident between both police and fire, as well as, you know, a natural disaster, or a lost or missing child or vulnerable adult.”
The unit, which resembles an ultra-large ambulance, has monitors built into the side, a la a tailgate party, so officers, firefighters, and other responders can huddle around it and see what’s being done on the inside or can compare notes in a more convenient way on the scene.
“It’s critical to be organized, to have a spot where you can have your decision makers all working together, coming up with a plan, troubleshooting any issues that are coming up,” said Flesland. “Organization is huge, and this gives us a spot to organize and allocate resources as best we can.”
There are places on the side also for firefighters to re-fill oxygen tanks or to control a large spotlight on the top of the vehicle to use on the scene of an emergency.
Berg said the inside of the unit can be used for private interviews, police evidence review, and for respite from extreme weather events impacting the response.
