CHP Chevrolet InterOp ICV Tahoe Mobile Command

[Ga-Lin 86]

I found this on another site I frequent. True it's 2 mil, but anyone can drive it, deploys more rapidly, & can go anywhere (mostly, certainly under even low bridges) unlike the more popular moblile home com ctrs that we see. Seth check it out.

http://gizmodo.com/5...ut-smoke-signal

Edited September 21, 2011 by Ga-Lin

[SOUSGT 357]

Calf. purchased 9 at 2 million each. No wonder the state is broke. Could have spared a few layoffs with 18 million. If communications are that important, pick up a few cans and a lot of string. Could have saved 17,999,991.

[huzzie59 75]

http://www.chp.ca.gov/html/gallery.html

some pictures

[wcr20 17]

Kinda remind me of the Red Cross comm trucks

[Guest MahopacFF101]

Calf. purchased 9 at 2 million each. No wonder the state is broke. Could have spared a few layoffs with 18 million. If communications are that important, pick up a few cans and a lot of string. Could have saved 17,999,991.

I think when you read the article you see apiece is crossed out so it was 9 trucks for $2,000,000.00 total.

[Ga-Lin 86]

I think when you read the article you see apiece is crossed out so it was 9 trucks for $2,000,000.00 total.

That correction was made after I read the post this am

[helicopper 1,050]

Yes, that's a big difference. I was thinking that 2M per unit was a waste of money but 200K is a bit more reasonable.

[PEMO3 523]

Yes, that's a big difference. I was thinking that 2M per unit was a waste of money but 200K is a bit more reasonable.

Looks like a viable option.

[ac316scu 31]

Im not sure I really understand the purpose of field communications units. Whats the advantages of having a truck with the same capabilities as dispatch at the scene?

[x129K 1,393]

Im not sure I really understand the purpose of field communications units. Whats the advantages of having a truck with the same capabilities as dispatch at the scene?

Yes...same here...

[v85 212]

Yes...same here...

I would think so that the incident can have a dedicated dispatcher, and the regular dispatch center can handle other, unrelated traffic.

[antiquefirelt 994]

Im not sure I really understand the purpose of field communications units. Whats the advantages of having a truck with the same capabilities as dispatch at the scene?

We've been asking the same thing here, after years of the dispatch supervisor putting a mobile comm unit in his capital improvements budget (never funded). Once in a while they send a dispatcher out with a MDT and a radio, but we still haven't figured out how to integrate them in to something functional and what the purpose is?

[tbendick 27]

Note the ACU1000 this is a great unit and in the SUV a great idea.

Now if you have multiple departments on scene you can link channels together to setup command freqs for interop. You can even take a portable and link it into the system. Have worked with these setups,they work very well.

Today at the penn station incident FDNY deployed true Interop channels. They were able to use UTAC channels to speak across river with North Hudson, however only the BC radios have this. So if we had deployed the ACU we could link UTAC and FDNY TAC to allow the members in the tunnels to speak with each other.

[x635 4,066]

Seth check it out.

That is awesome and I will definetly be getting shots next time I'm out that way. I've never seen a vehicle like this at all, especially so "portable". California has had, and has the potential to, need this kind of truck.

It's cool to read about the development of the vehicle and lessons learned on the link that huzzie posted above.

I'm pretty sure Westchester County looked at a similar vehicle in the past.

Duane, any insight?

Kinda remind me of the Red Cross comm trucks

Like this?

http://x635photos.com/displayimage-2100.html

[ny10570 745]

Note the ACU1000 this is a great unit and in the SUV a great idea.

Now if you have multiple departments on scene you can link channels together to setup command freqs for interop. You can even take a portable and link it into the system. Have worked with these setups,they work very well.

Today at the penn station incident FDNY deployed true Interop channels. They were able to use UTAC channels to speak across river with North Hudson, however only the BC radios have this. So if we had deployed the ACU we could link UTAC and FDNY TAC to allow the members in the tunnels to speak with each other.

Now if only fire units could communicate with PD or EMS units on the day to day jobs where accurate and fast communication make a measurable difference every day. Or (crazy thought) hire universal call takers that are properly trained and compensated on a level commensurate with the job they are asked to perfor, like maybe the fire dispatchers.

[JackEMT 77]

I see they got Dish TV so they can watch the car chases.

[JScott128 41]

NJ State Dept of Health runs a similar truck to assist the NJ EMS Task Force. Scott

[helicopper 1,050]

Note the ACU1000 this is a great unit and in the SUV a great idea.

Now if you have multiple departments on scene you can link channels together to setup command freqs for interop. You can even take a portable and link it into the system. Have worked with these setups,they work very well.

Today at the penn station incident FDNY deployed true Interop channels. They were able to use UTAC channels to speak across river with North Hudson, however only the BC radios have this. So if we had deployed the ACU we could link UTAC and FDNY TAC to allow the members in the tunnels to speak with each other.

Now if only fire units could communicate with PD or EMS units on the day to day jobs where accurate and fast communication make a measurable difference every day. Or (crazy thought) hire universal call takers that are properly trained and compensated on a level commensurate with the job they are asked to perfor, like maybe the fire dispatchers.

The purpose of these trucks is not to move dispatch to the field or duplicate dispatch services but rather to, as tbendick stated, facilitate on-scene communications. The NYC tunnel example is a good one and it could have been useful in Schoharie, Broome, Delaware or Greene Counties after Hurricane Irene as well when there were multiple resources from multiple disciplines operating in the same environment without common communications. Especially in Schoharie where there were ongoing hazards, it would have been great to put everyone in the at-risk division on a common channel so if there was a bug-out order they'd all get the message.

I can't speak to the EMS radios but NYPD has the UHF interoperability frequencies so they can be linked with FD or anyone else on common channels as well.

The whole purpose of the VTAC, UTAC, and ITAC is to facilitate interagency communications. If your agency doesn't have them, when you get your radios reprogrammed for narrow-banding compliance you should have them programmed in. Work with your County's communications folks and/or emergency management and we'll actually be able to communicate effectively someday.

Westchester County has several different resources for interoperable communications, including the DES Field Comm, several different PD command/communications vehicles, and RIOS vehicles deployed to each police mutual aid zone for more rapid response. In a real pinch, the helicopter can even cross-band or cross-band/repeat frequencies during a dynamic incident.

We may not have nine SUV's like CHP, but Westchester definitely does have the capability to do the same type of work.