Communication is key to every successful relationship, including the U.S. Secret Service’s relationship with its law enforcement partners.
The Secret Service unveiled a new mobile command vehicle last month, which provides enhanced radio communication with partners, a secure meeting space, improved internet access and integrated video feeds during critical incidents or major events.
“This mobile command vehicle allows us to be shoulder to shoulder with our partners at the scene, making informed decisions together and eliminating silos,” Capt. Matthew Strauss of the Secret Service’s Uniformed Division said.
The full capabilities of this new vehicle were relied upon when the Secret Service provided security at the FIFA Club World Cup Final at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
“This solves a major problem as far as working out of a command post or security room. It gives us the same type of platform everywhere we go,” said James Riggs Jr, a Secret Service telecommunications specialist.
Riggs has more than 25 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, including 16 years with the agency. He is part of the Operational Communications and Integration Division, which was created last year in response to Congressional reports detailing security lapses during the July 13, 2024, assassination attempt of President Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania.
The mobile command vehicle satisfies several recommendations within the reports, including improving communication between partners, recording radio transmissions and adding redundancy to communication platforms, Uniformed Division Lt. Matthew Camp said.
This redundancy can be critical in an emergency if the primary communication hub fails. Personnel in the mobile command vehicle are then able to step in and provide an almost seamless transition, keeping key leadership informed of events in real-time, Camp said.
“Really, it comes down to agility,” he said.
The vehicle also enhances the Secret Service’s video capabilities with two cameras mounted to a telescopic arm on top of it. Footage from law enforcement drones, helicopters and fixed cameras also can be fed into the vehicle and shared seamlessly.
These features were put to the test on Sunday at the FIFA Club World Cup Final, as the Secret Service worked alongside counterparts, including the FBI, the New Jersey State Police, the East Rutherford Police and private stadium security.
The mobile command vehicle’s first assignment was on July 4th at the White House, said Strauss, adding that the vehicle performed as intended at both events.
“This vehicle provides us with a mobile platform that can bring us a meeting room with technology, with radio systems, and key leaders can come together to make those tough calls as one unit,” Strauss said.
Going forward, the Secret Service plans to add 15–20 more mobile command vehicles and strategically station them throughout the country. There will be different sizes, too. A smaller vehicle can be loaded onto an airplane and taken on presidential visits. The medium-sized vehicle will have everything necessary for a typical event stateside, and a large model with four slide-out walls will be used for major events, Strauss said.
Some local police agencies have their own mobile command vehicles. For those that do not, the Secret Service will make its vehicles available to law enforcement partners, allowing local jurisdictions to use this cutting-edge technology for large events or amid a crisis.
“For decades, our partners have provided us with support with mobile command vehicles and command posts. Now it is our turn to give back to them,” Strauss said. “We are looking forward to the opportunity to offer our mobile command vehicle and our technology to them for their high-profile events.”
Another added benefit to the vehicle’s recording capabilities is the additional information that can be gleaned following an event. These recordings will be used to re-examine all that went well and provide insight for areas of improvement, Strauss said.
“We need to win every day,” he said. “So, this vehicle — by recording video, by recording radio transmissions — allows us the opportunity to go back and Monday morning quarterback what we did. So that we can ensure that what we do next is better than what we did yesterday.”