A US$1.2 million mobile command vehicle imported from Germany can deal with massive fires and other emergencies. (Photo: Shanghai.gov.cn)

    BEIJING, April 7 -- Shanghai is the first in the country to import a mobile command vehicle for dealing with massive fires and other emergencies.

    The vehicle, which was imported from Germany earlier this year, costs about 9.6 million yuan (US$1.2 million).

    Fire officials said the introduction of the advanced facility would greatly upgrade the city's combat power against major blazes, serious disasters and terrorism.

    "In case of emergency, it can serve as an independent control center that receives alerts, communicates orders and mediates operations," Shen Youdi, chief engineer of the Shanghai Fire Control Bureau, said of the "movable headquarters."

    Unlike ordinary command cars, the vehicle has a satellite communication system, air-conditioning and a bathroom.

    Besides the driver's cab, the vehicle has a conference room, a computer room and a control room.

    "Something special about the carriage is that the conference room can extend four meters outward so that a total of 16 people may have a meeting in the 20- square-meter room," Shen said.

    A fireman of Pudong Longyang Fire Control Brigade told reporters he spent a week studying how to operate the complicated interior appliances.

    "First, there were some German experts teaching us and later we learned by following the Chinese directions," said the firefighter surnamed Zhou, who is in charge of maintenance on the vehicle.

    The mobile headquarters has yet to be used for any real emergencies, but officials said it will be used during a fire drill in the near future.

    "City fire authorities are now working on the introduction of a fire engine with an 88-meter-long scaling ladder," Shen said.  

(Source: Shanghai Daily)