Command vehicles, also known as Fire Control vehicles or Incident Command vehicles, serve a unique purpose within the fleet of firefighting appliances. Command vehicles have not always been a staple however, as the concept was only truly introduced 1972 as the NSW Fire Brigades (NSWFB; now Fire and Rescue NSW, FRNSW) began exploring the opportunities and possibilities of what a Command vehicle might look like.
Originally the concept envisioned by the brigade involved the usage of an International CM1500 walk-through van. At this point in time, International was the fire brigade's manufacturer of choice when it came to vehicle selection. This original concept of a Command vehicle was devised to be a command/breathing apparatus appliance, serving the dual purpose of providing a transportable and moveable base of operations for large-scale coordination efforts, as well as being a prime vehicle for the movement, delivery, and supply of breathing apparatus equipment.
By late 1972, the design and the features of the command vehicle expanded. They not only considered the involvement of breathing apparatus equipment like CABA (compressed air breathing apparatus) and Proto sets (an earlier form of rebreather technology) but also high expansion foam generators and concentrate. In doing this it truly expanded the horizons and usage of the command vehicle to be multi-functional, almost positioned as a salvage/command vehicle rolled into one. At the same time, the original concept on a CM1500 chassis was no longer feasible as the size of the vehicle had grown outside of its proportions, the decisions were then made to alter the design to factor in a conventional ACCO International 1610A chassis instead. Even though this Command vehicle went out to tender, was constructed by J R Mudge in Petersham, and fully equipped ready for service, it never quite made it into the ranks of the fleet. At the time, ongoing disputes between the Fire Brigades Employee Union and the NSWFB regarding staffing of the vehicle at incidents and the lack of proper resolution meant that it never saw action for its intended purpose. Instead, in 1973 it was re-evaluated to determine its suitability for conversion as a salvage tender. Alternatively, this vehicle would end up being purchased by the Police Rescue Squad before then moving onto the Narromine Volunteer Rescue Squad, living multiple lives across different emergency services.
Almost 10 years later, the concept of a Command vehicle was reinvigorated, as in 1980 the NSWFB made the decision to purchase a Bedford SB5/NFM2 bus chassis. This chassis was then fitted with a bus-like body which comprised the Command vehicle. This new iteration however was not envisaged to be the multifunctional equipment carrying mobile office of the 1970s design. Rather this on featured a compact communications room that mimicked the main control room at Alexandria at the time, a conference area, and basic amenities. This vehicle would enter service officially 10 years after the original command vehicle concept was introduced, in 1983 and was officially designated as the ‘FCV’, the Fire Command Vehicle.
From this point onwards the Command vehicle concept was a hit, and its functional success led to the development of smaller mini/buses and vans to be adapted as mobile command offices. Whilst the Bedford FCV was in operation, a Toyota Coaster minibus, previously used for crew transportation was converted for the purposes of a smaller Command vehicle. Over the 1980s these minibus command vehicles and the larger Bedford Command vehicle would change bodies but remain with relatively the same fit out until the mid 1990s which is when a drastic overhaul took place.
The 1994 Eastern Seaboard bushfires highlighted the need for more mobile command units to be able to logistically manage and operate remote taskforces effectively. Five vans were purchased, with four of them making their ways to the regions and one remaining at Sydney for state communications planning. These five vans would be replaced in 1995 with Volkswagen Caravelle’s to be hence known as ‘Forward Command Vehicles’ for situations where a major FCV was not required. Whilst a great idea in theory, these Forward Command vehicles would not last long in operation, as all were effectively withdrawn in 1998.
In the stead of these Forward Command vehicles was also the development of two brand new major Incident Command Vehicles, rebranding from the Fire Command Vehicle moniker to ICV. These two ICV’s, whilst commissioned in 1994-1995 would not enter service until 1998. The newly branded ICV’s were developed from a standard PMC coach body fitted to a MAN cab chassis. Engineering and operations staff of the NSWFB designed and installed the final fit out to provide a wide range of communications system including radio systems, computers, facsimile (FAX) machines, photocopy facilities, a weather station, and geographic information systems, along with a conference area to hold up to eight officers, and a whiteboard. The vehicle is self-supporting for 5-8 hours from electrical power generated by the vehicle engine, with longer duration power being brought in from council mains, or a 70kva trailer mounted silent pack generator. These two ICV’s would be designated at ICV-A and ICV-B, with ICV-B transferred across into the FRNSW Heritage Fleet, managed by the Museum of Fire and ICV-A sold to the SES to become a mobile control unit for the Wollongong branch.
In 2016, two new vehicles were entered into service to replace ICV-A and ICV-B. These new Command vehicles were Scania P360’s that had their body work done by Varley. These would experience another re-branding, becoming known as Mobile Command Centres, or MCC’s and were thusly named MCC-A and MCC-B. These MCC’s are still in service today.
-Story by Ben Dickson, Curator of the Museum of Fire
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