As one of the early proponents of mobile command vehicles for military, police and fire, Larry LaGuardia has seen many changes in the rigs, including acceptance by the fire service. Now they're at the forefront of change in the fire industry.

LaGuardia is sales manager and head of business development for LDV, Burlington, Wis. His goal during his 15 years with the company has been to bring a diversified product line to the company, which had its roots in snap-on-tool trucks.

How did you start out building command centers?

Here at LDV we first started doing command centers primarily for police departments and hazmat/command centers for fire service, where they wanted different types of storage for equipment or a personnel carrier in the back and the forward section dedicated to command.

One of the earliest command centers 15 years ago had extensive command capability for a fire department at Edwards Air Force Base [in California]. It had a pretty extensive command area in the front section, though it was their hazmat response vehicle, and it had three work command stations. That became one of the vehicles that helped us get more interest in command vehicles for the fire service.

With all the changes in technology, are those early command centers starting to come back for replacements?

Part of our business plan for the upcoming year is for the refurbishment of existing product that we have out there.

We were fortunate about 14 years ago on a contract for Seattle. A gentleman in the acquisitions department said he wanted all communication and the 110-system run in plastic conduit. He wanted all shielded cabling and mil-spec wiring for the 12-volt system. It was a huge undertaking. At that time ordering mil-spec wiring for 12-volt required ordering specific quantities and special crimping tools, so it was almost $50,000 just to lay out the first truck.

He said by running all the electronics in conduit, as time went on, they could change out radios, phone systems and modify that stuff without having to rip vehicles apart. Within a year, we had that standard on all our products, and to this date we're the only company that does that standard on every vehicle. Consequently, when we get a vehicle made years ago, if they want new equipment, it's really not major surgery to change out new equipment.

Plus, we're taking some of our older units in trade because we can upgrade them and sell them on the market to agencies that don't have the money for brand new units.

What are some of the high-tech advances in mobile command centers?

Cameras for both day and night. Increased use of satellite telephones because in the event of a major incident, cell lines and land lines go down, so we're interfacing satellite telephones into the regular system. Satellite and Internet live-feed capability. Microwave video reception and transmission that allows live video feed to remote locations. Wireless computer network within the mobile command center. Video-overlays — those smartboards, and there are different versions that allow interaction with the computer network and electronic boards. GPS systems are now coming already programmed with maps and a lot of other data preloaded so that you don't have to get separate memory cards.

Individually, these sound minor, but three years ago you had to build all these systems, and now a lot of the manufacturers are getting this stuff done ahead of time. Other advances include high-brightness flat-screens for exterior monitors and modulated video systems that allow video-first selection with a standard control port — basically it's a router and can route it to video.

Some items for overall performance include ducting of the air-conditioning units for noise reduction in the interior, development of air bags on the generator that reduce the vibration of the vehicle and the noise level, and studio-grade acoustics for overall quietness.

What started this high-tech trend in the emergency services?

At the demise of the Cold War, a lot of the information that was developed by high-tech companies had no place to go and so they were encouraged to direct a lot of this to the war on drugs. That was the next big war, after the Cold War. Now with the changing times, much has been utilized and tweaked for the areas we talk about today.

Several years ago, law enforcement agencies were more likely to invest in command vehicles than fire departments. What's changed?

I think the observation that everybody's had in major, critical incidents was a need for more advanced communication command vehicles. There are certainly applications for different chassis and bodies in this industry, but the important issue is what can the vehicle do in a critical incident? I think that the fire service has gotten a much broader view of what a mobile command center is, and I think that some of that has come around because of the grant money.

Some of this grant money is going to public safety or the office of emergency management. That's where they're pulling the police, fire and EMS all under one umbrella, maybe even with the sheriffs or county law enforcement, and trying to agree what they need among them. I think that because many agencies have to work together, they are getting one command center. Everybody's getting a broad appreciation of what a command center is and how it can be utilized at a specific incident.

Do you think this is a result of Sept. 11, 2001, or earlier than that?

I think it's been a slow-moving process. Seventeen years ago I was selling designated command centers. The difference has been the level of sophistication of the vehicles, which increases their usefulness. Prior, a mobile command center might have had a radio for a police or fire department, and when cell phones became increasingly popular, those were added. Then there were black-and-white cameras and the evolution to high-resolution black-and-white to color to high-resolution low-light color, so there's been a real evolution of product.

A certain amount of that came from the demise of the Cold War. A lot of that technology specific to the military was brought to much wider public use and more products were made available. I don't think one incident triggered it, but when tornadoes or a sizable earthquake would occur, people could see that they could use more than they had. Situations like Waco, Texas, and 9/11 accelerated the breadth of the demand and contributed to the overall performance level of the product.

With the Department of Homeland Security's emphasis on a National Incident Management System forcing agencies to work together, won't that have a significant impact on command centers?

I don't know that any one person has a complete overall view of how all agencies are going to be responding nationwide. I know that contracts are being let by DOJ as part of a national incident management response. I know that the FBI and the federal agencies are putting together national response programs, and some states are putting together inter- and intrastate response programs.

To say that I see a cohesive result of that effort, I can't say that I do. The one thing I've seen in these programs is that the vehicles are much more sophisticated than people were talking about five years ago. Better radios, better recording and video systems, more interoperability. I do see a number of programs at both federal, state and local levels where agencies are creating unified commands. States are putting together programs where identical vehicles are situated throughout the state, so they can call any number of vehicles as required. When they show up, one vehicle can be area security, another can be technical support, another command and another communications. Trained staff from all over the state can operate in a vehicle designated by application. I see more of that in terms of a cohesive response.

Is there resemblance when you put a police command vehicle and a fire command vehicle side by side?

There was a day and night difference a number of years ago, but I think people are moving closer and closer together. Traditionally in the fire service, the most important thing about a vehicle was the chassis and the body. On the other hand, people who were building command centers for years, virtually all of them were not body and chassis builders — they were outfitters using everything from a recreational vehicle to a 53-foot trailer. I think people saw the importance of durability and product evolution from different body builders, and users have moved toward heavier-duty built vehicles.

What about the free-standing mobile command centers — the trailers?

Some agencies because of funding have to buy trailers. A trailer is not a vehicle, so if you get an equipment grant, you can buy a command center trailer, but you can't buy a command center vehicle. It's equipment money as opposed to vehicle money.

There are agencies that because of their staff may need 20 to 30 people inside. Some federal agencies are looking at double slide-out trailers, where you get over 1,000 square feet in a trailer. Those detached vehicles offer many advantages, including size. You can drop the trailer and drive off, or you can get custom axles anywhere you want on the better-quality trailers. On the real low-end trailers, some manufacturers do basic interiors, so if you're limited to $40,000 you can still have a command center to get you out of the weather and allow you to stand up.

Any downsides?

Like any industry, when money flows in people become increasingly innovative. Markets become increasing competitive. One of two things happen: Either upstarts come in because they have better ideas or better product for a share of the market place, or other companies that are already there gain or lose market share. I think it's going to be an overall changing in the market where some companies get in and out; some companies will succeed and some will fail. I think it's because of the volume being pumped into this market.

Fourteen years ago a $100,000 vehicle was the edge of the universe. Now we're building vehicles at $1.5 million and it's all in the electronics and communications. We're going to see vehicles built bigger, built stronger and lighter weight. One of the things people are looking at is slide-outs, where part of a wall will slide out. Sealing these from weather when you have hundreds of thousands of dollars of electronics and you cut out 12-feet of a sidewall structure; it has to be re-supported, it has to be level so the floor doesn't bind and it has to be weather tight. Once people get over the rage of having slide-outs, then we'll begin to see some really top-quality slide-outs.

Is security an issue for wireless networks in command centers?

Only for a small range outside the vehicle. You don't have a high-powered system set up there, and you're certainly going to keep a secure area around your command center.

It's like how people ask if we ever armor these units. A command center is not easily armored because you have so many holes and so much stuff under and around it; you don't put such a valuable unit in a high-risk situation. That's why you have high-powered cameras and communication, so you can be a command center in a secure location near your situation but away from your main station.

Any other computer uses?

We've seen increased use of video overlays. These are overlays that fit over electronic dry-erase boards or electronic boards and allow interaction between the computer and the entire computer network and the electronic board. Information stored in a computer can be displayed on the screen, and it can be marked on automatically and shows on a computer and shared with a network. It's an amazing thing that means the brass in the conference room can have a camera and a mike on hand, the screen behind him, giving a briefing, and people inside and outside the vehicles can watch and monitor everything he's saying, get it on their laptops and print a copy of what's on their screen.

What about a response to WMD or CBRN?

We're seeing a fairly substantial uptick on certain agencies requiring certain chemical and biological air filtration. In the event of an incident, they can be in the scene and be chemically and biologically protected.

In order to do that, the vehicle body has to be specially built for the application because you want to start sealing them as you build them. What we have done here is at the various stages it is built, you block it off and put smoke and pressurization in it, see where the smoke comes out and start sealing it up. Every day you go through and check until it holds X many pounds of pressure for specific amounts of time.

It's a lengthy process, but not very many vehicles have that capability. And with all the advanced communications equipment, you can put sensors and measuring devices, and people can be in a scene and relay pertinent live feeds to others trying to cope with a situation.

Earlier you mentioned noise-reduction.

Several areas — reducing the noise from the generators with air bags, studio-grade acoustics in the generator compartment and in the areas where it's exhausted, and areas where there's sliding doors so they don't make as much noise. Many of these vehicles will be used in more situations than just what a fire or police department would use it for. In a hostage situation — similar to the Russian hostage situation — staff needs to make sure the units are quiet and directing the air from discharging systems.

Where is the mobile command center market right now?

I see things starting to come together. People have a better understanding of the market and what's needed for performance. I think chassis and outfitters are seeing it. I see that regardless of price, people are starting to buy the right chassis and body for what they want for their price range, instead of saying “I want a great big thing that does this and that.” There's been a real growth of understanding of this product.

Fire apparatus people were always more knowledgeable about vehicles versus police who only bought squad cars. The culture of their specific services, time has narrowed down. With the grants, people can't afford what they want, so we're seeing police and fire going in together and making compromises and it starts to come together.

It was a different application for police when they got into this area because recreational vehicles offered a great deal of square feet for the money, but the market has gravitated away from that. That's where the equipment overpowered the body. There are times when a department can get a big command center and body, but if you have no communications ability, you have a big box driving around.

The fire service is accustomed to having meetings and meetings and then placing your order and you could work on truck specs for a year or two. Command centers are driven by grants: You get your grant and if you don't get your money spent, you lose it. Who's driving this? The guy who realizes he's only got six months to get the grant.

LaGuardia on Starting Spec Points

Everybody does things differently, and I always look at the different ways agencies acquire mobile command centers. Traditionally in the fire service, committees are formed, there's research, visitations, and the MCCs usually are sold through dealers. Many times the dealers start out with sharing information with departments.

I think working in a committee makes it very difficult, because typically committees don't run command centers, individuals run command centers; maintenance is involved, communications is involved and your command staff is involved.

Conceptualize the vehicle. Make sure to plan long-term. You won't be able to make the vehicle bigger in the future. It's very difficult to upgrade your generator because of compartment size, so make sure you have plenty of power and plenty of size.

You need to know what your funding level is going to be. You don't want to get someone to design a vehicle and find out you can't afford it. As you lay out the vehicle and determine what type of equipment or capability you want, that will give you an idea of the cost because an interior is going to cost pretty much the same if you put it in one product or another product. When you determine these items, then your chassis and body become apparent. If you have X dollars in your budget and this much is taken up by your interior and equipment, that gives you an option of the chassis, body, engine and horsepower, or maybe a trailer as an option.

Have a good understanding of your communication requirements and of others in the surrounding areas that you may have to work with in a major incident. Get input from any other departments that you frequently work with — police, sheriff, EMS — to make sure this vehicle will work with what they may have. Consider how many work stations or communications stations they're going to require and that will determine one section of the vehicle. Look at the work stations; allow 30 to 36 inches for a work station.

Decide on the frequency of the usage to help determine chassis and body type.

Determine if you need a galley or a lavatory. There are a few creature comforts you're going to need — microwave, refrigerator or coffee pot. A lavatory may be necessary.

Decide on, under maximum circumstances, how many people are you going to have to seat in a conference room that will give you a size of the vehicle; the number of work stations, and a galley/lav section. Determine how many people will fit in a command room, allowing 30 inches per person sitting in a chair.

Make sure you have a load calculation of the final spec or print. You don't want your vehicle lopsided or overloaded.

Call some companies and ask for prints and specs similar to what you envision. It's easier to make 20 changes to a vehicle that's already been built than to take a piece of paper and think you're the only people with a totally unique situation.

If you apply for a FIRE Grant, know what you're applying for. Have samples of that vehicle in that price range that has the features you want. Have an understanding of what you will get for that money.

LaGuardia on Command Center Trends

Interiors

People are looking to reduce, reduce, reduce because they're putting in more equipment to increase power consumption and they need more efficiency.

Cabinets and storage

We're seeing a lot of new lighter-weight cabinetry versus the heavy, boxy cabinets. Now you can get heavy-duty aluminum cabinets that are powder-coated and painted to match your countertop and vastly superior to a lot of the old homemade stuff.

Computer networks

We're seeing a definite increase in wireless networks within a mobile command center, in place of standard of hardwires all around, they're using wireless.

Digital

Just like the domestic and commercial markets, we are changing over to digital audio and video to replace old tape systems.

Interoperability systems

Interoperability systems were a very narrow market, but now there are a number of really good products with wide-based acceptance. It's the software-enabled interoperability — where you're clicking, pointing and touching a screen and manipulating all of these different systems….

Thermal imaging

People are using thermal-imaging cameras in command centers for rescue operations. During a lost or kidnapped child incident, departments will bring the command vehicle out and search an area at night. There are even systems that will work in water to locate bodies.

Exterior video monitors

Because a lot of vehicles are getting video monitors mounted on the exterior of the vehicles, we talk about high-brightness LCD screens, which have full access to all of the video systems available in the vehicle. Whether it's audio or video, command information can be shared outside the vehicles.

Microwave video reception and transmission

A lot of companies on the leading edge of microwave have developed small, remote cameras that can be placed on bridges, ports, highways, inside buildings and on major intersections. They can be controlled inside the command vehicle, and they can send and receive, all beaming to a central location.

Non-ground — based communication

Satellite phone systems and satellite Internet live-feed capability are where they're getting information and sending it through a satellite to remote locations. You can be dealing with a situation in Virginia Beach, Va., and talking to somebody in Sacramento, Calif., dealing with the same situation, sharing live feed information.