MISSION VIEJO : City to Buy Disaster Command Vehicle
The city is planning to spend $53,000 for a specially equipped off-road vehicle that will serve as a command post in case of a major disaster.
The mobile command center will enable the city to quickly organize a response to emergency situations such as major fires or earthquakes, said Clint Sherrod, city planning director.
The idea for a command vehicle was raised during the city’s development of a detailed disaster plan.
Sherrod said the vehicle will be organized like an office with file cabinets and a conference room. The command center will also be equipped with portable communication systems such as cellular telephones and ham radios.
“In any emergency you have to set up a command where you can organize emergency response efforts and coordinate staff,” Sherrod said. “You don’t know what will be destroyed or inoperative during a disaster.”
Other than four disaster response exercises each year, the mobile command center will not be used for any other activity.
He estimated that it would take about four months before the vehicle is built and delivered.
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