Mobile Command Post Enhances Sheriff’s Office Capabilities

From the outside, few would expect a nearly 20-year-old Thomas bus to house a fully equipped mobile command post.

The 2009 Thomas 84-passenger bus was purchased in 2020 and later retrofitted for use by the Clearwater County Sheriff’s Office. The first five rows of seats were retained to transport inmates should an emergency require the county jail to be evacuated. The seating can also accommodate first responders during emergencies or search-and-rescue operations.

Storage compartments beneath the bus provide ample room for equipment and supplies.

Sheriff Darin Halvorson said the interior includes two dispatch stations equipped with large monitors, radios and printing capabilities.

“Our dispatch center could be temporarily moved to the bus if our current site had to be shut down because of an emergency,” Halvorson said. “The bus can be powered by a 7,000-watt generator or plugged into a power source like an RV.”

The mobile command post replaced a 1996 camper trailer the county had used for more than 20 years.

Funding for the project came from federal CARES Act dollars, with no local taxpayer dollars required.

“We are very grateful to the Clearwater County commissioners who allowed this project to be completed,” Halvorson said. “It is a great resource for our office and other agencies within our county. The uses for this vehicle are endless.”