Homeland Security Resonse Team in MY town?

I was out getting my favorite feta cheese pizza tonight, and spotted this!


(can't get it to embed)

I havent seen this around before tonight, so I looked it up on the web.

ROLLA, MO, HOMELAND SECURITY RESPONSE TEAM

The new 37-foot-long by 12-foot-high vehicle, which is being housed at the City’s Fire and Rescue Headquarters (1490 East 10th Street), will be a huge asset to the City and community in the event of a natural disaster (such as a tornado, severe weather storm or earthquake), hazardous waste materials spill, pandemic flu outbreak, weapons of mass destruction (WMD) event, or other large-scale emergency. Purchased from Burlington RV in Sturtevant, Wisconsin, for $205,000, the vehicle is equipped to accommodate 13 emergency professionals, including 10 command staff and three dispatchers. It was designed by members of the City’s Fire and Rescue HAZMAT (Hazardous Materials) team who collaborated with representatives from Burlington RV on the design and construction phases of the vehicle.

Now since WHEN does Rolla, Missouri NEED ones of these 205,000 dollar vehicles? This is a small, NOTHING town! I have to say, it gave me the heebie jeebies to see this thing driving in front of me, going through town. Maybe Im just making a mountain out of a mole-hill. What do you think?
Take a look at the grinning skull graphics on the bus!!!! YIKES

[edit on 8-4-2009 by Yummy Freelunch]

Thats interesting. i have mentioned it before, but I recently saw a similar truck in Beaverton, Oregon, that had, clearly posted on the side: FEMA Emergency Mobile Internet Station.

Gave me chills.

Yes, I know how you feel! ME TOO, and even my son commented on the graphics on the bus, the grinning skull! It was creepy as hell!

reply to post by Yummy Freelunch

Those kinds of vehicles are usually deployed in a county seat or physically strategic location to ensure faster deployment and access to regional dispatch centers, plus ensure the truck is stored in a safe space. Physical proximity between control centers probably also is a factor. As bad as the tornadoes and snow have been in the Midwest the past few years, they probably need more trucks. There also is a shift in how governments are coordinating field responses to make them faster and more productive. I know our former area FEMA director who was also a local cop for many years and these kinds of developments are a good thing from their end since so many different agencies are now involved in relief/rescue work. The last thing they want is another Katrina-type failure, albeit on a smaller scale.
It's probably also cheaper to store it in a smaller town. My guess, is your region participating in the upcoming Midwestern disaster/tornado drill? There was a story on yahoo this morning.

Our small town here in illinois has one as well.We have had it for a couple of years now.It has only been used twice and is stored in a warehouse with our swat vehicles and equipment.It was actually used last night because of a bomb threat in a nearby town.

Maybe Im just really niave! I really didnt think such a small town would have this type of measures. It would be nice if they'd really USE it, because YES, we have tornadoes all the time in the spring.

But WHY do they have to use such menacing graphics on the truck, FFS!!!

reply to post by Yummy Freelunch


Hi Yummy Freelunch.

You must be in a really bad area, lol.

That skull and cross bones means that they are land pirates, lol.

Hopefully, all of you over there in Rolla will never need their assistance, but if you ever do, you should be really glad that it is so close by.

Pizza, you know I love pizza.

My county has a similar vehicle, as does the adjoining county. They are Command, Control, and Communications or C3 mobile facilities. Basically used for mobile command centers in emergencies.

The logo on the side of this one IS pretty creepy though.... It kind of looks like a placard on a HAZMAT truck. Weird.

Love the name by the way, OP... Heinlein much?

I think there might be a need for this type of vehicle. Rolla is an international community, and there was a bogus terror threat that made national headlines back in 2007 or 2008. Just last year, Rolla had that domestic terrorist who went on a shooting spree. I think he was a methhead from Oklahoma. And I also think that since we are only 20-25 miles from a 4-branch military base might contribute to our having a Homeland security vehicle.