Columbiana takes possession of emergency response trailer

COLUMBIANA -- Although city law enforcement was investigating acquisition of a new mobile police command center for city events before 2023 --the East Palestine train derailment happened --making its benefits more obvious.

Columbiana police took possession of the area's new state-of-the art mobile emergency response trailer two years later, according to city police chief Mark Edwards, who took command of the department in April.

Jake Kellner, who operates KRS Guns and works as a reserve police officer for Columbiana, started looking into a better solution in the fall of 2022.

At that time, Kellner was still a full-time officer for the city, and Edwards said that the department had repurposed an aging camper for that purpose.

While attending a police conference, officials had learned about the mobile command trailer option and reached out to Mobile Concepts, a company based out of Pennsylvania, to get a quote on a Command 31-4WS .

Divided into three sections, the trailer includes a rear work area --including four work stations, a telecommunications area and a conference room.

Funding had been a concern initially, but Rep. Monica Robb Blasdel spearheaded inclusion of a $250,000 appropriation to mark purchase of the trailer, which is available to all local emergency response organizations possible. Especially in the case of disaster response like that fateful night in East Palestine.

"I'm proud to have helped secure this funding for the city of Columbiana," said Robb Blasdel. "This mobile command unit will be a critical tool in keeping our community safe and ensuring first responders are equipped to act quickly and effectively in times of crisis."

Edwards, who first learned that he had inherited the responsibilities for implementing the trailer from retired police chief William Myers upon taking the job, said he continues to work on fine tuning that.

Currently, he has two officers assigned to oversight of the trailer. Everything was largely found in working order after inventory and reading the instruction manual.

Now, Edwards said, he is just waiting to hear back from the department's IT company in completing the computers in the trailer.

Without the technology, it is currently functional, as police used it on theFourth of July and plan to utilize it for the city's annual Street Fair coming up after Labor Day.

Edwards said the department also needs to find a better solution for pulling it -- especially in the case of more time sensitive deployment.

Currently, a city pickup truck from the street department and driver is commandeered to transport the trailer from the city garage to its desired location.

Edwards is investigating adding a pickup truck to the police fleet like many other departments do, usually assigning them to the supervisor on duty. "I want to see us become more independent with (the mobile command center)," he added.

The goal is to have the mobile command center in complete working order by July 4, 2026, Edwards concluded.