KSHB 41 reporter Claire Bradshaw covers portions of eastern Jackson County, including areas like Blue Springs and Independence. If you have a story idea to share, send an email to Claire at claire.bradshaw@kshb.com.
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For years, the Blue Springs Police Department communicated in the field out of the back of a cop car.
“Before, we were operating outside of an Explorer. Hatch up; rain, snow, sleet. I was standing outside in that. Here I am, in nice comfort,” said Capt. Don Rapp.
A few years ago, the department spent ARPA money to purchase a command van from Vandoit, which is locally owned and operated Vandoit.
Chief Bob Muenz originally went to Vandoit’s CEO and co-founder Jared McCauslin with an old ambulance he wanted to be turned into a communication vehicle. McCauslin said they could do better.
Vandoit fits its mobile command centers with state-of-the-art technology. Police can communicate with dispatch, view multiple monitors and see live feeds, and use cameras to do surveillance and zoom in long distances.
The centers are also solar-powered so police can turn the engine off for 24 hours and still use the equipment.
All of that allows for efficient and safe policing, according to Muenz.
“We have the ability to take this and link with our fire service folks, EMS, everybody," he said. "We can have one central command area. We can all work out of this vehicle."
The mobile command center is used in various situations: barricaded individuals, mental health crises, planned search warrants or local events.
Vandoit’s CEO called it a powerhouse.
“It really was something for me that I started realizing there was a demand for this,” McCauslin said.
McCauslin said the company has created around 20 of these types of vans for police departments around the country.
Locally, Independence received one around a month ago, and Lee’s Summit will be the next.
“Helping the police departments and helping some other organizations with a crisis. We're actually saving lives, and it's made myself, my team very passionate about what we do,” McCauslin said.
Vandoit creates other commercial-use vans and recreational vehicles.
McCauslin said these mobile command centers are becoming standardized, allowing departments to assist each other and work together.
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