“One of Bristol County’s most iconic assets finds a new home.
The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office mobile command center, a giant truck with communications equipment and meeting/planning room, is donated to the New Bedford Police Department.
“The Mobile Command Center has served the people of Bristol County for decades,” said Sheriff Paul Heroux. “As the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office refocuses its resources on various public safety avenues, we are all pleased that the Command Center will not only find a good home with the NBPD, but will continue to support law enforcement for years to come. ”
New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira thanked for the donation and said the command center will be available to surrounding communities.
“When speaking to Sheriff Heroux, I was delighted to hear that he was willing to transfer his current commando unit to the New Bedford Police Department,” Chief Oliveira said. “This is an extremely generous gesture of goodwill from his department to mine, for which I am very grateful. As leaders of our respective organizations, it is our duty to support one another and work in partnership. Sheriff Heroux has clearly shown a willingness to coordinate with surrounding law enforcement for the greater good.
“This command center will be useful to our city which hosts many events throughout the year that attract mass gatherings such as the Madeira Festival and the New Bedford Half Marathon,” continued Chief Oliveira. “Having a staged area with a dedicated command center as your base of operations is crucial. I would also like to add that I intend to pass on that generosity by making the command center available to surrounding communities who may also need it for their own incidents and events. My thanks to Sheriff Heroux and the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office.”
The Mobile Command Center was acquired with a federal grant and arrived at the BCSO shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. It houses state-of-the-art lighting and camera equipment for surveying and monitoring the area and can act as an emergency call center in emergencies.
Over the years, it has served as the county-wide communications, training and planning center, and with 40,000 miles on the engine, Sheriff Heroux said the Command Center’s best years are yet to come.
“It still has a lot of life on it and our staff have done a remarkable job of updating it and keeping it modern,” Sheriff Heroux said of Col. David Gavigan and Capt. William Camara. “It will serve and protect the people of Bristol County for many years to come.”
