Ever wish you could take your office on the road? Tampa Electric can do just that with our new mobile command posts. Officially called a FORTS (Fold Out Rigid Temporary Shelter), each mobile command post serves as temporary office space in the field when restoring electric service after a storm or other occurrence that causes widespread outages. The posts can also be used at large events – think Super Bowl at Raymond James and the Republican National Convention at Amalie Arena. Other community-related events might include the Strawberry Festival in Plant City and the Florida State Fair. The posts are designed for quick set up at any location where crews are needed.
“The mobile command post provides our crews with a convenient location to conduct business,” said Lee Collins, emergency management manager, Energy Delivery. “Instead of rolling engineering prints out the hood of a pickup truck in the wind and rain, our crews can gather inside a conditioned post where they’ll have access to tables, whiteboards, electricity, hook-ups for computers, phone charging and more.”
Each command post includes a trailer for easy transport. The trailer includes large storage bins that carry equipment that crews will need on site. Once the trailer and command post arrive on site, crews simply lower support legs that lift the post off the trailer. Once the trailer is pulled away from the command post, crews unfold the roof, floor and side panels to create a 16 X 16 foot building. From start to finish, it takes approximately 30 minutes to fully deploy a mobile command post.
The new mobile command posts complement the company’s existing mobile command center that Peoples Gas and Tampa Electric purchased in 2015. Both fulfill a similar need. However, the mobile command center provides additional technology, such as satellite hook ups, etc.
Once decals and the TECO logo are applied to each command post, they will be stored at various service area locations across West Central Florida where they will be ready to hit the road when needed.
View a time-lapse video of TECO crews building a mobile command post.
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