Frisco Fire Department Goes Mobile
By ASHANTI BLAIZE
Updated 7:18 PM CST, Thu, Sep 10, 2009
What's worth $1.5 million, has eight cameras and nearly a dozen flat screen televisions? It's the Frisco Fire Department's new mobile command center.
The fire department received the vehicle about two weeks ago.
In the past, fire crews used the back of a battalion chief's SUV as their mobile command center at emergency scenes.
"We'd cram as many people into that SUV in that little bity air-conditioned area as we needed to deal with the incident," said Division Chief Cameron Kraemer.
But now things are different with this new Communications Command unit.
"It's like 10 SUVs and a 25-foot-long fire truck," said Kraemer.
The vehicle is how the Frisco Fire Department stays mobile. It's a tool that helps them help the community.
"Whether it's the police department or the fire Department, or even Pizza Hut Park staff," Kraemer said. "Depending on what type of situation you're dealing with, we can see those situations, we can analyze them from afar, and send the most appropriate resources as quick as possible."
In the unit there are six laptops, all WiFi, almost a dozen flat-screen monitors, thermal imaging technology, and enough cameras attached to the top of the vehicle to be a constant eye in the sky to any incident.
With the best technology on board, the Communication Command unit even allows crews to better communicate on scenes involving agencies from other cities.
"If we wanted to talk to an agency outside of the DFW area, for instance Sherman or something like that, we've got all their channels and communication that is built into this truck," said Kraemer.
For the Frisco Fire Department it's the future of emergency response, now. The department has two other similar vehicles for specialty emergency responses.
First Published: Sep 10, 2009 5:57 PM CST
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