Unitil, (unitil.com), a provider of natural gas and electricity to customers in New England, is putting the finishing touches on a new mobile command center that will play a critical role in supporting future responses to emergencies in the company’s service territory and beyond.
The 35-foot-long, 11,000-pound command unit, which recently arrived at Unitil’s regional facility in Exeter, N.H., will serve as a mobile office and centralized communications hub, allowing crews to manage field resources and operations.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies, and this mobile command center will prove to be an important asset,” said Unitil Media Relations Manager Alec O’Meara. “We’ve been exploring options for adding this unit to our fleet for some time and we’re excited to have it available, especially in the midst of the sometimes unpredictable winter season.”
The mobile command center will provide several benefits that will help improve efficiency, including reducing the time it takes to receive and process information from the field as many functions can be handled directly from the new mobile unit.
Complementing Unitil’s local Emergency Operations Centers, the mobile unit will be available for activation during major storm emergencies when significant damage to electrical infrastructure is anticipated and large amounts of resources will be needed. It will also be beneficial during gas interruptions to help coordinate a localized response in the field and during long-duration special projects as it would allow operations personnel to work directly from the unit at job sites.
“We’re always looking for ways to improve our ability to prepare for and respond to emergencies, and this mobile command center will prove to be an important asset."
Media Relations Manager, Alec O'Meara
Additionally, the unit can be used when crews are deployed to provide mutual aid to areas impacted by a large-scale event outside Unitil’s service territory.
Mobile Concepts of Mount Pleasant, PA, designed and built the mobile command center.
Unitil expects to have the unit ready for use in February.
