New Bedford Guide Your Guide to New Bedford and South Coast, MA
“One of Bristol County’s most high-profile assets is finding a new home.
The Bristol County Sheriff’s Office Mobile Command Center, a massive truck complete with communications equipment and meeting/planning space, is being donated to the New Bedford Police Department.
“The Mobile Command Center has served the people of Bristol County for decades,” Sheriff Paul Heroux said. “As the Bristol County Sheriff’s Office refocuses its resources on different pathways to public safety, we’re all glad that the Command Center will not only find a good home with the NBPD, but also continue to support law enforcement for years to come.”
New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira expressed gratitude with the donation and said the command center would be available to surrounding communities.
“In speaking with Sheriff Heroux, I was extremely pleased to hear that he was willing to transfer his current command unit over to the New Bedford Police Department,” Chief Oliveira said. “This is an exceptionally generous gesture of goodwill on behalf of his department to mine, for which I am very grateful. As leaders of our respective organizations, it is incumbent upon us to support one another and work in partnership. Sheriff Heroux has clearly shown his willingness to coordinate with surrounding law enforcement agencies for the collective 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 Feast and New Bedford Half-Marathon,” Chief Oliveira continued. “Having a staged area with a dedicated command center as a base of operations is critical. I would like to also add that I intend to pay this generosity forward by making the command center available to surrounding communities that 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 purchased with a federal grant and arrived at the BCSO shortly after the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center. It houses state-of-the-art lighting and camera equipment to survey and observe the surrounding area and can function as an emergency dispatch center in case of emergencies.
Over the years, it has served as a communications, training and planning hub across the county, and with 40,000 miles on the engine, Sheriff Heroux said the Command Center’s best years are ahead.
“It has lots of life left on it and our staff has done a remarkable job updating it and keeping it modern,” Sheriff Heroux said of the BCSO Homeland Security team of Col. David Gavigan and Capt. William Camara. “It will continue to serve and protect the people of Bristol County for years to come.”
