The Maryland State Police?s newest station sits on eight enormous tires and is painted a sleek green and black. At 56 feet long, it?s a behemoth of a truck, but police say it?s their best tool for quick disaster response and emergency rescue.
State police unveiled their new mobile incident command vehicle in Annapolis on Wednesday, boasting that the “police station on wheels” is the largest mobile unit in the nation.
“This is world class,” said Gov. Robert Ehrlich, as State Police Col. Thomas Hutchins gave him a tour.
The $1.5 million truck is equipped with radio, satellite, telephones and wireless Internet connection. Inside the truck, black tabletops with flat-screen computers line each side.
The satellite system provides cable and Internet access, and a microwave system that allows video and data feeds from helicopters and other vehicles.
The microwave dish can also track automobiles.
There is also an advanced video system, which includes a 360-degree camera with zoom capabilities and night vision.
Hutchins said the command unit will be particularly useful when police are aiding in a natural disaster or attempting to find a missing person.
“I hope we never have to use it [for those reasons], but it?s available,” Hutchins said.
Hutchins also said he wants the vehicle, which will be rotated throughout the state, to support local police operations.
One of the unit?s most touted features is a radio function that allows multiple agencies to communicate with each other, even if they are different frequencies.
Funds for the vehicle came from a federal government grant, the State Highway Administration and the Maryland State Police.
