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Responding to emergencies on the Millersville University campus will be faster and easier thanks to a new mobile command center. The emergency response vehicle is ready to meet the needs of emergency situations not only on campus, but for the entire Lancaster County region.
“We bought an old ambulance for $1 from the Blue Rock Fire Department in Millersville,” said Patrick Weidinger, director of safety and environmental health at Millersville. “It’s undergone custom modifications to meet the standards necessary for an emergency vehicle that is capable of responding to natural or man-made disasters.”
The Mobile Command Center is a self-contained emergency responder. Fully equipped to deal with large scale emergencies, including a communications console with computers and radio dispatch, the price tag for its modifications was $25,000.
“Preparation is essential for emergency response, as time is critical,” Weidinger said. “The time to gather your equipment is not when the emergency starts, but well before the emergency,” he added.
Housed at Lebanon House with University Police, the vehicle serves as a mobile field command post in the event of an emergency. This is important for several reasons: The incident command team can manage the emergency from a defined location, the team has the flexibility, by virtue of the unit’s mobility, to change course as the disaster warrants and the vehicle can serve as shelter for the emergency team.
The unit is one of two completely outfitted emergency response command centers for the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education universities. Versatile in its function, the Mobile Command Center, though equipped as a police emergency vehicle, can be operated by non-police responders. A unique feature of the vehicle is the Special Operations Trailer, which houses the equipment needed for large-scale incidents.
In one of its recent deployments, the Mobile Command Center was on the scene of a major incident in Manor Township.
“Millersville University works with our surrounding emergency responders to improve safety and response for the Millersville area community,” Weidinger said.
