Wayne County approves mobile command vehicle purchase and a package of public-safety grants and contracts

Wayne County commissioners approved the county’s purchase of a mobile command post vehicle and voted to accept or authorize a series of public-safety grants and contract actions during a committee meeting.

The most discussed item was the county’s mobile command vehicle being procured through the Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management. Director Jaffer (Wayne County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management) told commissioners the vehicle is still in the process of manufacturing and is scheduled for delivery in June. Ahmad Nasser, finance manager at Homeland Security, said the county budgeted $1.2 million for a command post and that the manufacturer’s modifications increased the final price above that budgeted amount; the department is proposing a budget adjustment and intends to use general fund dollars to complete payment. The vehicle will be housed in a climate-controlled county warehouse on Northland Road in Southgate.

Commissioner Garza moved the item for approval; Commissioner Allen Wilson seconded it. The motion passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: the mobile command post is intended to support multiagency responses to large incidents and countywide emergency operations. Commissioners asked about storage, training, and funding; Homeland Security staff said director- and deputy-director-level staff traveled to the manufacturer to identify needed modifications and will provide training before local deployment.

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