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.
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 Captain Don Rapp.
A few years ago, the department spent ARPA money to buy a command van from locally owned and operated Vandoit. Chief Bob Muenz originally went to Vandoit’s CEO, 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. It is 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 Chief Muenz.
“We have the ability to take this and link with our fire service folks, EMS, everybody. We can have one central command area. We can all work out of this vehicle,” said Muenz.
The mobile command center is used in various situations: barricaded individuals, mental health crises, planned search warrants, or local events. Vandoit’s CEO and co-founder called it a powerhouse.
“It really was something for me that I started realizing there was a demand for this,” said McCauslin.
McCauslin said they have 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 to get one.
“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,” said McCauslin.
Vandoit creates other commercial-use vans, but also recreational vehicles. McCauslin said these mobile command centers are becoming standardized, allowing departments to assist each other and work together.
