LEWISTON – The criminal justice class at Lewiston’s Andover College visited the Lewiston Fire Department’s Central Station recently to view the newly procured Androscoggin County incident command vehicle.

“As a part of their scholastic training at the college, it is important for students to become familiar with the resources made available to the people of Maine in the event of any national emergency or natural disaster,” said Peter Mars, a professor at Andover College and a lieutenant with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.

The emergency vehicle, purchased through a grant as part of the Homeland Security effort to better prepare communities for unforeseen event, augments the services offered by the American Red Cross Disaster Service and the Salvation Army, who also operate emergency vehicles during critical situations.

The greatest difference between what the other services provide and what the Androscoggin unit will accommodate is the complete communications facilities in the vehicle, one of the major resources that was not available in Hurricane Katrina.

“Those who are entering the field of law enforcement sometimes forget that our emergency services, which include the police, as well as fire and rescue, are there to save lives and protect the public in addition to upholding the law,” said Phil Nadeau, deputy city administrator for the city of Lewiston. “Communications among all of our public agencies is absolutely vital, especially in any emergency,” Nadeau said.

In response to a request from Mars, Randy Klemanski, a student at Andover who has worked for Androscoggin County, made the arrangements for the interactive class visit with Tim Bubier, deputy director for the Androscoggin Emergency Management Agency.

Bubier said the specialized vehicle, which is quartered in Greene, is one of four in Maine and is available primarily for Androscoggin, Franklin and Oxford counties but can be put into service anywhere in the state if necessary. Bubier explained the functions of the equipment on board and answered questions concerning the vehicle’s operation.