With bright red, blue and green lights flashing, a new 40-foot-long mobile command center came screaming down Poplar Street to City Hall late Thursday afternoon.
"I'm proud of this thing. It's a dream come true," said Johnny Wingers, director of the Macon-Bibb County Emergency Management Agency.
When disaster strikes, local emergency workers will be able to quickly establish a command post completely wired with the technology of the 21st century.
"Since 9/11, everything's changed. We need a large command post to handle the entire region," Wingers said.
The $192,000 vehicle purchased with federal money from the Department of Homeland Security will serve 25 counties in the Area 4 region of Georgia, stretching from Macon to near Albany, Wingers said.
The vehicle will be used to coordinate multiple agencies involved in disaster response.
Houston County Fire Chief Jimmy Williams, Peach County Fire Chief Jeff Doles, Macon-Bibb County Fire Chief Jimmy Hartley and Homeland Security representatives from Atlanta joined Macon and Bibb County leaders at the roll-out ceremony.
The Blue Bird Co. in Fort Valley manufactured the command center which houses a conference room and several work stations wired for four radio systems, telephones, fax machines and the Internet.
Revolving green lights are posted on each corner of the vehicle. Green is the recognized symbol for the location of the command post in the emergency services community, Wingers said.
