Washington County board OKs $1.1M mobile command vehicle for sheriff’s office

The Washington County Sheriff’s Office will replace its mobile command vehicle next year with a new $1.1 million vehicle from LDV Custom Specialty Vehicles.

The Washington County Board of Commissioners last week approved a contract with the Burlington, Wis., company. The contract, which totals $1,076,140 over 24 months, will be funded with public safety aid ($850,000) and the county’s 2024 contingency fund ($226,140), county officials said.

The sheriff’s office’s current mobile command vehicle was purchased in 2011 for $250,000 and is nearing the end of its life, said Cmdr. Andy Ellickson of the sheriff’s office. Public works staff say the vehicle requires replacement due to current and future mechanical failures associated with the vehicle’s age, he said.

The new command center is an MT55 Freightliner, which is “much more beefed-up” than the old one,” he said. “It has a hood that can flip up, which makes it easier to work on,” he said. “The one we have now is a ‘cab over camper’ design. It doesn’t have a hood, which means maintenance is troublesome.”

The mobile command vehicle is used by all public-safety agencies in the county during small- and large-scale events, including critical incidents, training and community events, Ellickson said.

The vehicle should be completed and delivered in 12 to 18 months, he said.