The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department has obtained a new mobile command vehicle.

Speaking to the Berrien County Board of Commissioners Thursday, Emergency Management Coordinator Rockey Adams said when there’s a big emergency or disaster, the command center will give those on the ground a place to plan.

“These chaotic events, when you’re in command and you’re really trying to work as a team to be able to make important decisions for the safety of your responders as well as the public, it is good to be able to remove yourself from that urgency and from everything that’s going on in front of you,” Adams said. “There’s almost too much going on for your brain to be able to take in everything and make really sound decisions.”

Adams said a lot of times, responders just use their cars as command centers.

“When we have major events that happen, like maybe a barge hits a bridge and it collapses or something like that, you need more people and you’re not all going to fit in the fire chief’s car.”

The 40-foot vehicle features a conference room, a work room, a dispatch center, a work station with computers, and a center briefing area.

When the sheriff’s department announced the purchase in 2022, the cost was $802,000.