MACON, Ga. — Shelters opened across Central Georgia this week for Hurricane Dorian evacuees.
When the South Macon Recreation complex greeted visitors, the mobile command unit was there to assist.
“They do have a curiosity they come out and ask what is this thing and what does it do,” mobile command unit volunteer Bill Lively said.
As a volunteer, Lively has to answer a lot of questions but he does not mind.
Think of this vehicle as one giant telephone.
“We have equipment to contact all federal agencies FEMA, GEMA and the local authorities,” Lively said.
If telephone polls come down, the mobile command unit can coordinate an emergency situation inside the shelter.
“If we need to evacuate someone for dialysis or some type of medical emergency, we can get in contact with he hospitals and get dispatch ambulances and emergency services here,” Lively said.
None of that had to happen this week, but Lively says Hurricane Dorian gave them a chance to practice for the next disaster.
“It's a good thing the storm didn't cause that big of an issue for us, but this is a dry run just to make sure that our procedures, our communications equipment, all the systems on this — on the mobile command vehicle — are operational and fully functional in the event we really have to use it,” Lively said.
Head of the Emergency Management Agency Spencer Hawkins says it costs very little to run the mobile command unit to shelters like this. That is because it is staffed with volunteers, and generators run the equipment.
Just another bonus for a vehicle that can communicate all over the world in tough times.
Hawkins says the mobile command unit was a big help in coordinating agencies in the aftermath of Irma.
Hurricane Katrina marked the last time the unit deployed out of the state.
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