Mobile headquarters will be deployed for critical incidents, community events and more
The Mauldin Police Department has added a new Mobile Command Post Vehicle (CPV) to its fleet, enhancing the department’s ability to respond to critical incidents and providing support for special events and community engagement. The new vehicle will serve as a mobile headquarters for a variety of emergency and non-emergency situations, including major crime scenes, crisis intervention scenarios, disaster response, traffic safety checkpoints, community events and other special programming.
The vehicle was built by Mobile Specialty Vehicles (MSV) of Indiana and funded by a $500,000 grant from the South Carolina Department of Public Safety; approximately $400,000 went towards the purchase of the CPV, and the remainder funded the purchase of new equipment for the city’s Special Response Team (SRT), including vests, helmets, eye protection, medical kits, armor and other less-than-lethal equipment.
“As communities grow and challenges intensify, this type of vehicle is becoming increasingly more important and necessary for police departments,” said Capt. Emanuel Hodrea, who oversaw the design and build of the CPV. “With the uptick of critical incidents within the city as well as the county, this vehicle will allow us to be more efficient and effective in our response.”
The CPV can be rapidly deployed to the scene of a crisis and provides a mobile hub for officers to oversee and coordinate operations at the scene of emergencies or large-scale events. It also acts as a central hub for police presence during concerts, festivals and other events, enhancing the department’s visibility, and it can be used in public safety education and community outreach efforts.
“This vehicle strengthens community engagement and gives us a powerful tool to manage complex situations more effectively,” said Chief George Miller. “When we have major crime scenes, we can use it to put victims and witnesses in to keep them out of the public eye and have some privacy, which is a key feature. Overall, we think this will boost public safety and help us protect and serve this community more effectively.”
Design and Features
The front half of the interior is set up as a work center, with 3 workstations with computers and a multi-purpose printer.
The rear half is an interview/meeting room with bench-style seating for 6-8 people, TVs and whiteboards, with a partition between the meeting area and work center to offer privacy.
The CPV has a total of 9 TVs (both interior and exterior), multiple radios and redundant internet capabilities and is equipped with a generator. Other features include:
- Retractable awning
- Air conditioning
- Security cameras
- Dry-erase style walls
- Dimmable interior lighting
The vehicle is built on a Dodge Ram 5500 chassis and is approximately 32 feet long. MPD has put together a team that will be responsible for driving and maintaining the vehicle.
MPD also utilized some of the state funding to purchase a DJI Matrice 30T Thermal FPV Advanced Public Safety Drone that will integrate with the vehicle. Officers inside the CPVs will be able to watch drone footage on the vehicle TVs in real time.
“If we have an operator flying the drone, we can Bluetooth that into the TV, and multiple people can watch the drone feed, not just the operator,” Capt. Hodrea said.
Background
Between July 2024 and December 2024, MPD evaluated CPVs from more than seven vendors and numerous law enforcement agencies and toured similarly designed vehicles to better understand the design, production and functionality of a CPV. In early December, MPD released a Request for Proposal with the minimum and preferred specifications for a CPV. Responses were due Jan. 3, 2025 and were evaluated by staff. Mobile Specialty Vehicles (MSV) was selected as the vendor, and staff began coordinating the design and build process.
“I want to extend my sincere thanks to Rep. David Vaughan, Rep. Bruce Bannister and Sen. Ross Turner, who were instrumental in helping us secure funding to purchase this vehicle,” said Council Member and Public Safety Committee Chair Carol King. “This investment strengthens our emergency response capabilities and demonstrates a shared commitment to keeping our community safe, and we are deeply grateful for their support.”
Watch a video about the vehicle here: https://cityofmauldin.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/CPV-tour.m4v.
