Football fans at the recent 49ers playoff games got a chance to see one of the new Mobile Command Vehicles.
By Maureen Bogues
When a utility emergency strikes—whether in a remote ravine or on a busy city block—one of PG&E’s new Mobile Command Vehicles will be there.
In December, PG&E rolled out a fleet of four 24-foot Sprinter vehicles as a mobile extension of the company’s Emergency Operations Center. The vehicles are strategically staged within PG&E’s service area – in Santa Rosa, San Jose, Stockton and San Francisco.
When a gas or electric emergency happens, the van will be on-site, not only providing valuable information to the crews in the field, but also as a presence that customers can see. For example, one of the Mobile Command Vehicles was on hand at the two San Francisco 49ers playoff games this month at Candlestick Park.
Packed with tools, technology
The vans are packed with the tools crews need to address emergencies from the field, including a 3,000-watt on-board generator, three workstations, laptops, satellite phones, radios, and a radio controller that allows the operator to connect PG&E radios of different frequencies together, and allows for other radios (such as police, fire and highway patrol) to connect with PG&E radio frequencies.
The Mobile Command Vehicles will be deployed for emergencies typically lasting a day or two, and will have a staff of two onboard — a driver and an IT expert. When not deployed during emergencies, the vans also will appear at community celebrations and other events.
In one of it first real-world uses, at a gas incident in Bakersfield, the Mobile Command Vehicle proved to be a success.
“The Mobile Command Vehicle worked out. It gave us a place to coordinate our plans out of the elements and with no distractions,” said Raul Barron, a PG&E gas service supervisor.
Larger units will be arriving soon
In the coming months, PG&E will roll out two 39-foot motor coaches designed to respond to major emergencies such as an earthquake, major storm or another larger-scale emergency. The larger motor coaches will use satellite technology to communicate, as opposed to the Sprinters, which use cell phone technology for that purpose. These larger units will have 12 workstations, a conference table, eight TVs and an external TV, plus a refrigerator and bathroom, and will be staged in Fresno and Davis.
The bottom line for both customers and employees alike: PG&E’s response will be more coordinated and quicker due to these vehicles.
“If something happens, we’re on-site quickly,” said John Peters, a PG&E engineering analyst. “If you see a mobile command unit parked in your neighborhood, you’ll know there is something going on and that PG&E is out there taking care of it.”
Workers inside the mobile units will be able to provide critical real-time information from the event itself.
Added Dwayne Little, a project manager in PG&E’s IT department, “We’re not only working on it (the solution), but we’re communicating what we’re doing, and it’s coming from a guy out on the street putting information into the system.”
The new Mobile Command Vehicles reflect how PG&E’s emergency-response plans continue to evolve.
“PG&E is looking to the future with a renewed focus on emergency preparedness, response and public safety,” said Des Bell, the company’s senior vice president of safety and shared services.
“The Mobile Command Vehicles will be our home base during an emergency. First responder partners can go to them and work shoulder to shoulder with PG&E leadership on-site to resolve any issues and ensure the public feels safe in their homes,” said Bell.
