Denis Leary | Leary Foundation | Leary Firefighters

FDNY Mobile Command Center Prepared for Any Convention Emergencies
Amanda Farinacci
NY1.com
ny1.com

August 30, 2004

The Fire Department says it's ready for the Republican National Convention, and whatever may come along with it. Crews are stationed in various locations throughout the city, all coordinated through a command post near Madison Square Garden, site of the convention. NY1’s Amanda Farinacci took a firsthand look Monday and filed this report.

The FDNY's Mobile Command Center may look small and narrow inside, but its capabilities run big and wide. Sitting just outside the Farley Post Office, it monitors what goes on in the so-called “Frozen Zone” near MSG.

“Any of the events that we're responsible for, which of course would be fire suppression, decontamination if there was the need, EMS, emergency medical services, explosions - we're fully prepared,” said Fire Commissioner Nicholas Scoppetta.

Hundreds of extra firefighters have been assigned in and around MSG. The command center is staffed by both EMS and FDNY dispatchers, as well as several chiefs. They meet daily to fine-tune their overall plan for the convention, monitoring telephone and radio transmissions and keeping an eye on wide sections of the area.

“There are street scenes being monitored, there are cameras at remote locations, scattered about, strategically placed so that in the command vehicle our people can literally see what's going on at those locations,” said Scoppetta.

Their updated radio system allows commanders to reach numerous people and agencies at the push of a button.

“It gives us the capability of communicating over several different frequencies and media,” said FDNY Chief Harold Meyers. “We can have all phones and radios and everything all connected at once that we can all talk to each other at the same time within the Fire Department, and we can also communicate with the Police Department as well.”

Department brass say the presence of the command center right at MSG also lets firefighters respond more quickly to any problem that requires special gear.

“We have several decontamination units in the zone, and anything of a pepper spray or other type of an incident that should develop, we are perfectly capable of handling it on site,” said Meyers.

The mobile command center will be fully staffed around the clock until the end of the convention on Thursday.