|
The units around here that are municiple vary from drug seized
Winebagos to converted city buses to Delaware County's THREE units, one donated, one built, and one monster bought.
Most of the fire companies use their big squad trucks with walk-in bodies (a 24' Swab rescue body on a Mack MC chassis is about $250,000 these days) but they carry a lot of stuff
you would not need (air cascades, HRT set ups, etc. ) which are extra.
The only SAR mobile command post around here was a 4x8 tool box trailer which eventually got one of those pull masts for
the antenna and an aluminium shelf added to keep the rubber boat off the generator. Everything was in old ammo boxes, except the topos which were rolled up in pvc pipes. There was a 4.4 KW generator (grant money), about 15 single channel portables (scrounged) and a couple of sheets of Plexiglas to cover the maps, and lots of acquired office supplies. The trailer cost $1,000 used (grant money) Most of the radios in the "base" were donated, although one was bought used.
(We never did get around to tables and chairs but one member who got wet one day bought one of those patio pavillion tents
with a million parts to add to the rig.)
It worked fine as long as you didn't try to turn at over 15MPH and you had a prime mover for it (member owned). It took about an hour to deploy the generator (150 pounds on a slide rack) as far away as possible, put up the antenna mast, get out the maps, steal chairs, etc.
It costs a lot of money to put a self propelled vehicle on the street (Suburbans with police packages cost about $30,000 plus). To buy an empty "Road Warrior" type ambulance staart thinking $70,000 plus according to those who buy. Our last fire engine cost $300,000 plus equipment. LDV quotes $230,000 plus for their 28 foot step van based unit, STS' disaster CP goes for around $750,000 depending on equipment.
The real cost is maintenance and replacement planning. The unit will have to last many years and then be replaced. Can you (or your organization) consistently raise $10,000 a year and NOT spend it? This would be the truck fund and with interest should buy you a truck every 10 years or so.
I am sure glad the fire company gets tax money. Ouir next replacement is an aerial apparatus closely followed by two pumpers. The latest planning quote for the aerial is $750,000
and two years wait, the pumpers which cost $95,000 each will cost about $300,000 each to replace.
I would not even think of starting a SAR team without a guaranteed source of big bucks today, the days of scrounging
gear are long gone in major metropolitan areas.
irv lichtenstein 215-233-3360 215-233-2343 fax
| 
nice to have bucks 
Mobile Command Posts... Describe yours, Please !
(Robert Long)
