MARTA Police Department Adds New State-of-the-Art Mobile Command Vehicle

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority will dedicate its new $1.2 million mobile command vehicle on Tuesday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. at the Lindbergh Center Station kiss/ride lot. 

The 45-foot vehicle allows the MARTA Police and Emergency Management Department to have enhanced communications and command-and-control response capabilities during any major incident affecting MARTA, such as natural disasters, security threats, and major sporting events. 

“Our mobile command vehicle further signifies the commitment we have to the safety and well-being of our customers and the public during an emergency,” said MARTA Police Chief Wanda Y. Dunham. “Since Atlanta is hosting high-profile sporting events such as the College Football Playoff National Championship in 2018 and the Super Bowl in 2019, this vehicle couldn’t have come at a better time since MARTA will play a prominent role in transporting visitors to and from those events. The MARTA Board of Directors recognized this investment would provide best-in-class security for our patrons as well as state-of-the-art transportation for our first responders.”   

The mobile command center can operate via satellite, cellular, or direct connectivity, has a 24-hour generator, 40-foot mast and external camera views, MARTA CCTV and voice-over internet protocol, restrooms and comfortable seating for 20 people. The vehicle is eligible for 100% reimbursement funding through the Federal Transit Urban Grant Program for security investments. 

“This newest element to our security and emergency management program helps to maintain MARTA’s TSA Gold Standard and compliance with the National Preparedness Goal, recognizing that strategic preparedness is the best defense against all hazards,” said MARTA’s Emergency Preparedness Unit Commander Lt. Aston T. Greene.  

Chief Dunham and Lt. Greene will join MARTA Interim General Manager Elizabeth O’Neill and Deputy General Manager Robert Troup at the ribbon-cutting ceremony as the Authority celebrates the culmination of five years of meticulous planning to ensure MARTA’s Police Department continues to meet or exceed the Department of Homeland Security Core capabilities, focused on transportation critical infrastructures.