Partners
AT&T is a leader in telecommunication services, including cell phones, wireless, U-verse, digital TV, high speed internet, DSL, home phone, and bundled services. Learn More
Avaya is a global provider of business collaboration and communications solutions, providing unified communications, contact centers, networking and related services to companies of all sizes around the world. Learn More
BATS Wireless provides a proprietary software and hardware platform that locates, locks, and tracks wireless broadband communication access points. Through the use of its industry-first platform, BATS enables organizations to rapidly deploy self-healing, fixed or mobile links over long distances. BATS has set the industry standard for delivering high-bandwidth, high-availability intelligent networks for critical data and communications. Learn More
BearCom is America’s only nationwide wireless equipment dealer and integrator, specializing in two-way radios and other quality wireless devices that offer the ultimate value in mobility for your workforce.Learn More
Cradlepoint is the leading provider of cloud-based wired and wireless WAN networking solutions for Distributed and Mobile Enterprises. Cradlepoint solutions provide the strongest wireless and broadband performance while delivering proven network system interoperability.Learn More
General Dynamics SATCOM Technologies designs, produces and installs a full line of antennas for mobile satellite communications and fixed communication gateways. From small deployable antennas that can fit into checked luggage, to large antennas helping scientists peer into space, our antennas provide reliable satellite communications for any application. Available in a number of frequency ranges including L, S, C, X, Ku, and Ka, our antennas keep you connected anytime, anywhere. Learn More
Ground Control is a single-source provider of professional grade satellite Internet services & VoIP phone as well as satellite system manufacturer headquartered in the United States. They provide Fixed, Mobile, Portable, Maritime, SCADA/M2M equipment and service needs. Their service offerings cover 100% of the globe, so their connections can be trusted… Anywhere And Anytime. Learn More
Harris PSPC, a division of Harris Corporation’s RF Division, is an international communications and information technology company serving government and commercial markets around the globe. Offering the most advanced IP voice and data networks, secure, next-generation public safety-grade LTE solutions and applications for voice, video and data, and industry leading multiband, multimode radios, it is no wonder that Harris PSPC has become a leading provider of trusted communications solutions for those who defend, protect, and serve.
IP Access International is a global business satellite Internet provider delivering high speed satellite Internet service for fixed as well as mobile satellite communications to businesses worldwide. From broadband Internet access to first responder services, IP Access International is a global business connectivity solutions provider, offering high performance, end-to-end networking for voice, video and data services for business satellite Internet solutions. Learn More
Motorola delivers leading-edge technology solutions worldwide for consumers, enterprise and government. Learn More
Mutualink creates networks of interoperable communities that are, at an instant, capable of sharing voice, text, radio, video, data and telephone communications in a secure environment. The Mutualink product is used by First Responders all over the world to better enable them to quickly communicate and share vital information during an emergency response situation. Learn More
From the company’s inception, we set out to create the most reliable and easiest-to-use routers. Since then, we have developed multi-WAN VPN bonding (SD-WAN) routers and access points with industry-leading durability, a straightforward and intuitive web interface, and a wide range of features that are difficult to match. From home-office users to enterprise-branch networks, to emergency vehicles, we have helped thousands of customers migrate from traditional WAN to our SD-WAN solutions, resulting in increased bandwidth, higher WAN reliability, and lower costs. Learn More
JPS designs products to enhance communications systems by making them more versatile, more secure, and more robust. JPS provides innovative solutions to solve modern challenges for Public Safety, Military, Government, Oil/Gas, and Commercial users. Learn More
Tempest Technology Corporation is the leading manufacturer of products and accessories for environmental management in firefighting, Positive Pressure Ventilation, industrial, and golf/turf applications. Learn More
Vetted Security Solutions offers a multitude of solutions including: Mobile Surveillance Trailers, Mobile Command Centers, QuadRotor UAV’s, PTZ and Fixed Camera Enclosures, Mobile and Fixed License Plate Recognition, Gunshot Detection, Line of Sight and Non Line of Sight Radio Wireless Systems, NBC Detection Equipment, FLIR Thermal Cameras, In car Video Systems, Bait Cars, as well as a wide variety of analytical options all controlled through ONSSI’s enterprise grade VMS. Learn More
Client Testimonials
This MERC package combined with the shelter provides us a response package that can be fully deployed in less than 30 minutes anywhere we need it!
The MERC Lite satellite trailer worked perfectly during our 3 day response. The generator provided continuous power allowing us to stay in constant contact with the responding Guardsmen.
The MERC Lite satellite trailers worked great during our support of the relief efforts providing mobile communications, a climate controlled shelter, and lighting for night time operations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Isn’t mobile satellite service very expensive?
The cost of mobile satellite service has come down tremendously over the past 10 years. In the past this service could only be purchased as a “full-time” service and would cost over a thousand dollars a month for very minimum bandwidth. Fortunately with advances in technology satellite service has gotten better in terms of bandwidth speeds and quality while the price has come down tremendously. With our partners at IP Access, CCS has been able to develop several Disaster Response Packages that allow our First Responder customers to buy 5 or 10 day per month packages that can provide burstable speeds from 20 mbps down to 5 mbps up for just a few hundred dollars per month. For our Commercial customers we can also provide metered service plans based on their network needs that are very affordable.
Do I really need satellite service with the availability of LTE and FirstNet?
All of the LTE service providers have made great strides in coverage and network speeds and the roll out of the FirstNet Network with Band 14 has been a tremendous asset for First Responders. Most service providers have deployable COWs (cellular units on wheels) that they can deploy during and after a disaster to help keep service up and FirstNet has a fleet of COLTs that provide this same service free of charge for their customers. Despite all of this LTE technology and network redundancy, bad things can still happen. Wildfires and hurricanes can take out cell towers and during that down time that it takes a LTE service provider to deploy their mobile assets, a First Responder could be caught without communications. Satellite service fills that void and provides that life line that should allow the user to always connect and communicate regardless of local assets. Please be very skeptical of anyone that tells you that you will always have LTE coverage. Can you hear me now?
Should we do a “drive away” or “tow away” mobile command center?
Our first choice at CCS is always a tow away command center purely for the sake of redundancy. It is really very simple, if a mobile command center is built on the chassis of a vehicle and that vehicle has a mechanical failure, you lose your mobile command center. If your mobile command center is built out as a trailer and the towing vehicle has a mechanical failure, then you simply find another towing vehicle. The first few years as a company, CCS would not build a vehicle based mobile command center for that very reason. The reality is that some customers felt more comfortable driving a vehicle than towing a trailer so eventually we agreed to do both, but we still always recommend a trailer version.
What trends do you see in the mobile command center market?
Over the past 5 years we have seen customers shy away from building out the bigger command centers (30 to 48 foot units) and look at smaller more tactical units. There are multiple reasons for this: (1) The requirement for a special driver’s license and skill set to drive or tow the larger units (2) The need for smaller units that can be easily transported through urban areas with smaller streets, more traffic, low hanging tree limbs, etc.. (3) The need to air lift units to a destination or ship by sea (4) Overall cost and ongoing maintenance. CCS has been offering our MERC-Lite and MERC-Mini packages for over 10 years and these trailers have been certified for transport on a C-130 and have a proven track record of urban deployments in over 14 countries. To assist with the loss of office space by not having a large command center, CCS has bundled several of our Zumro air shelters that can either attach to these smaller MERC units or set up beside them to resolve this work space issue.
What makes CCS different from any of your competition?
The reason the ownership of CCS chose to enter this mobile command center market in 2007 is that we saw a real void in terms of any mobile command center manufacturers that provided full integration of the communication equipment their customers needed. Some of the long standing suppliers build very nice vehicles and trailers to serve as mobile command centers, but do a very poor job of equipping them with the proper communication equipment. They were basically leaving that to the customer to add after they purchased the unit. That makes sense because most of them are really just trailer manufacturers and custom fabricators with no technology background. The founders of CCS were just the opposite, we were all working in the telecommunication market and were basically technology “geeks”. We went out and hired the expertise we needed to build the command centers and they do a great job at it, but our focus has been and always will be the communication equipment we install in and on these mobile command centers. That is by far the most important component of these units allowing our customers to communicate and schedule the resources they need to respond to any disaster.