Allegheny County Emergency Services
Command Vehicle
Allegheny County took delivery of their new state-of-the-art Command Post in May 2007. It was the culmination of several years of planning and construction with many members of the EMA staff and vendors involved. The chassis is by Pierce with a custom built 31.5 foot body and interior by LDV Inc, of Burlington, Wisconsin. The vehicle has two slide out areas for increased work area with climate control; the latest electronics, including on board satellite link with WIFI networks and telephone, infrared imaging and color video on telescoping masts, video downlinks from news helicopters, wireless weather stations, and access to all news feeds via Direct TV just to name a few. It also has a 20Kw generator and enough fuel to be self sustaining for four days.
As for radio equipment, the county came to Staley Communication with an idea of what they needed the vehicle to be capable of in the way of communications. They needed to have access to all bands at multiple locations in the vehicle and the flexibility to change its’ configuration on the fly if needed. Dispatch consoles appeared to be the best solution controlling CDM 1550 mobiles via digital links making it easy for a technician to make changes to the radios without the need to make changes to the console configurations or wiring. 
Staley Communication installed six MCC5500 positions utilizing laptops to save space. There are 14 CMD 1550 mobiles connected to the console system along with 3 XTL5000 secure capable consolettes for access to P25 systems and an ACU 1000 with phone patch and its’ own set of 8 radios. With this configuration they have access to low band ranges from 29-50 MHZ, VHF including Amateur and Maritime, 403 to 512 MHZ, and 800 conventional and trunking systems plus the PA state radio system.
Space was a major issue because of the large number of radios involved. Only two six foot cabinets were allocated for radio equipment. It took some trial and error plus custom built mounting arrangements to fit the console
control equipment and radio infrastructure gear in this small space.  By using low profile shelving, back to back mounting, and ingenuity, we came up with a design that worked while still providing easy access to components for service. Several trips were made to the LDV factory while the vehicle was under construction to pre-run the wiring before the interior was finished. We also had the equipment cabinets shipped to us several weeks before the vehicle arrived and had them assembled and pre-wired. The antennas, 45 of them, are mounted on a square channel around the perimeter of the roof. Antenna separation required careful planning to eliminate interference problems.
 Command 400 made its debut as the center for information and control at the PGA tournament on June 7, 2008 at Oakmont Country Club. All of the major systems were put to the test with only minor technical issues needing addressed. Other refinements are ongoing as a result of feedback from the event. Staley Communication continues to provide support to Allegheny County for their communication needs in every way we can.
» Pdf format
|
|
