By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-936444.mp3
Dallas, TX – THOR has arrived at the Dallas Police Department. That's the Tactical Homeland Operational Response vehicle that Police will use during the Super Bowl. KERA's BJ Austin reports.
Police scanner broadcasts feed into high tech work stations in THOR - an 80 foot long, big-rig outfitted with the latest communications technology. It's the brainchild of the company Intrado, which handles 9-1-1 for the state of Texas. That includes routing cellular 9-1-1 calls to the local authorities. The company's Michael Lee says Super Bowl 45 is THOR's debut.
Lee: It is the first time it's going to be used. It is going to allow the law enforcement community in the Metroplex to be interoperable with each other on their radio systems. Ah, Dallas PD can talk to other police departments up and down the I-30 corridor, and they're also going to use the vehicle as a mobile command post as well.
Dallas Police Lt. Chris Aulbaugh says they're studying "how" and "where" to use THOR.
Aulbaugh: Those details we can't discuss, but there will be a cooperation between all agencies protecting the entire region, with our primary roles for our own agencies, our own jurisdictions.
Intrado's Michael Lee says THOR is on loan, free of charge to the DPD.
Lee: THOR is not only the very first for us to build, but there very first vehicle of its type.
Lee says THOR is a rolling police station - capable of taking 9-1-1 calls, dispatching police, interfacing different police agencies, and capturing all sorts of electronic data. Lee says THOR will be available to police agencies across the state, for big events or disasters, such as hurricanes.