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Command Post 
Mobile Command Posts... Describe yours, Please !
(Robert Long)
Our's
(Del Morris)
Questions about your command post.
(Robert Long)
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> 1) What type of tables and/or desks are your command staff using in the post? (in other words describe them. LxWxH) The "dining area" was left intact ... booth style sitting 2' x 4' table .... we utilize fire stations and schools when ever possible. > 1a) Do the commander(s) think they have enough desk space to do their > work? No .... never ... but it does get them of their asses and out of the CP ... so it could be good > 2) What is your communications setup? single station UHF / VHF capibilities ... computer (PC) for dispatch log ... there is room for another station if search escalates ... we carry 20 portables with charging capibility for all of them at the same time .... Our adjoining county has a COM VAN that is 100% radios , so if we go mutual aid, we transfer the COM to their unit. > 3) Ever have a "brown out" because of lack of power due to way to many devices on? Well ... yes ... UPS helps balance the "crash" chance ... inverter will handle PC and radios just fine ... but when we are running the photo copier we need to be hooked to our generator or plugged into A/C > 4) You seem to indicate that you don't want a small kitchen area in your command post. Why? Is it too big in your case or do way to many persons "raid the fride" :-) nothing in the fridge worth raiding ...kitchen is too small to serve meals to the whole unit, so why just take care of overhead and "cops" and chance bad feelings within the unit ... especially with the field units doing all the work. Fresh water for the troops is great ... we all benefit ... large coffee pot for hot water/coffee for everyone is cool too. But a kitchen is wasted space to me ... an "outside" fold down or pull out kitch area (burner/sink) is my design and I keep trying to get this OK'd ... but so far no luck .... Removable exterior infrared LP heaters would be a plus for the troops also.... As you can tell, I hate giving the command staff greater creature comforts than is offered to the field staff. > 5) How do you have your flat maps stored? In a flat file cabinet 4' w x 4' d x 2' high ...find in any office supply source ... the Copier is on top of it and there is some desk space here, too. > 5a) I realize flat maps would be nice in a command post but wouldn't rolled or folded maps save space? Used to roll them .... pain in the butt ... tough to find right maps easy ... tough to put away properly ... tough to keep flat while in use .... a real mess > 6) What software do you use for your mapping system. Any complaints, or disadvantages of your software? Just getting into ARC VIEW ... to soon to tell. > 7) You mentioned that your command post still looks like a "camping vehicle", even though you have signs, antennas, flashing light(s) (I assume). My question have you ever heard any negitave comments from Professional ES personell because of the looks of your cp? We don't really care what they think > I guess what i'm asking is do you think that because your command post looks like an RV type vehicle, instead of a commercial type vehicle, the "Professional ES" get a negitave attitude. Such as brush you off as "wannabees"? We are not faced with a "wannabee" problem .... we ARE the Sheriff's SAR Unit .... we ARE the "Professionals" when it applies to a Search ... there are no independant SAR units in our county except for Dog Teams and they do not show up unless we call them. Our rescues are with our Helicopter w/ Deputies or with the local volunteer FDs . Our Swat team has borrowed the rig from time to time .... they seem to like it ... but they keep stealing our maps. > 8) what type of copier do you have? Minolta (sp?) we will be adding a HP color printer/scanner > 9) Any celluar or satillite communications on board? cell phone > 10) TV or DBS TV on board? Plans for the new PC station 19 " TV/Monitor with VCR > 11) Any other "Hi-tech" or "New" Equipment aboard? Looking into more of a Networking layout > 12) Ever have any other complaints or praises about your command post? Always ... but there is nothing "perfect" out there avery Incident is different. One size does not fit all! Robert if you have a fax I can sketch you a layout. Del Morris Sonoma County Sheriff's SAR Unit (CA) dlmorris@concentric,net |
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