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Missoula completes mobile command vehicle build; driver/operator training planned
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Summary
Missoula County completed a mobile command vehicle funded by a Homeland Security grant and will house it alternately with city and rural fire districts. Staff said the next steps are driver/operator training and familiarization for first-responder agencies.
Missoula Office of Emergency Management staff told the LEPC on Oct. 14 that a mobile command vehicle funded through a federal Homeland Security grant has completed build-out and will be housed between Missoula City and Missoula Rural Fire Districts on a rotating basis.
Why it matters
The vehicle is configured as a technology-agnostic command shell designed to support extended incidents that require co-located coordination, information management and meeting space. Organizers said driver/operator training and agency familiarization are the immediate next steps so the vehicle can be placed on automatic dispatch lists for selected call types rather than being deployed only by request.
Design and operations
Staff emphasized the goal of making the vehicle adaptable to different agencies’ equipment and noted it will also serve public-safety needs such as providing a shelter for incident coordination during inclement weather. The county will conduct driver training to ensure safe operation and will work with first-responder agencies to identify incidents where automatic dispatch is appropriate.
Availability and custody
The mobile command vehicle will rotate between Missoula City and Missoula Rural Fire District to ensure coverage and to align with other hazmat asset locations, staff said. Officials invited partner agencies to arrange familiarization sessions and to provide input on dispatch criteria.
