Los Angeles County Fire Department's PIO Command Vehicle

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The Los Angeles County Fire Department's Public Information Officers (PIO) have a state-of-the-art command vehicle, giving them the tools they need to keep the members of their community informed during large scale emergency incidents, such as wildfires, extended commercial building fires, and natural disasters.  The 2007 Freightliner SVI Command Vehicle was purchased by Los Angeles County with a $375,000 FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant, according to Captain Mike Brown, a Los Angeles County Fire Department PIO.

The "rolling office", as Brown calls it, has everything that his team of PIO's needs during emergency responses.  The truck is set up with six work stations, but can accommodate up to 8 personnel.  The stations are each outfitted with laptops that are connected to a printer and fax machine.  They each have electrical outlets for cell phones and provide access to both TV and radio with headsets for each officer.

The vehicle also has an extensive communications system with VHF radios, and accommodates a CAD unit so that officials can monitor all resources on an incident.  It features twelve 15" televisions with access to all local television stations and satellite feeds.  In the middle of the television bank is a 40" conversion Smart Board/Television.  Explaining how the PIO's use the Smart Board during a wildfire, Brown says, "We can actually go and draw on the map where the fire is actually burning.  As the fire grows, we can actually move with the fire."  A self-stabilizing system keeps the truck level and all work surfaces horizontal.

The Freightliner SVI Command Vehicle also has video recording capabilities, allowing personnel to download and dub video from a camera in the field for training purposes.  An onboard PA system and a portable podium allows PIO's to hold on-scene press conferences and to host public speaking events.

The truck carries 80 gallons of fuel and has an onboard generator to power up all of the equipment and electronics.  It is also stocked with bedding and tables for use by personnel in the case of long-term responses.  Although the Los Angeles County Fire Department maintains and uses it primarily, the command vehicle is also available for use by other county agencies for public information purposes.



Author:Barbara Brooks - FDNNTV.com