Brown Specialty Vehicles builds on-site work trailers for Denver Water
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Aug. 26, 2010 - Brown Specialty Vehicles of Lawrence, Kan., in cooperation with its dealer O.J. Watson Equipment of Denver, has designed and built a mobile command center and three mobile work units for Denver Water.
The public water utility, Colorado's oldest and largest, serves 1.3 million people in the Denver metro area with 3,000 miles of pipes. The new mobile command center and one or more of the three work units that Brown Specialty completed this summer will be used by crews at repair and construction sites.
"We're excited about these additions to our fleet," says Nick Streno of Denver Water. "These are well-built construction trailers that our employees can use to get in out of the weather or to have tailgate meetings and then go back out and do the work that's required."
A hook-lift truck will transport the units to work sites. Each work center will provide workers an inside place to change clothes, take breaks and do paper and computer work.
The T & D Section (Transmission and Distribution) wagons offer year-round use. Besides heat and air conditioning, a self-contained, gasoline-driven generator supplies energy for lights and microwave oven and outlets for cook plates and coffee pots. Propane gas operates a refrigerator. Lockers hold clean and dirty gear. Dry-erase boards cover all walls so workers can leave notes or draw work diagrams.
O.J. Watson co-owner Mark Eckrich worked with Denver Water on ideas for the wagons. He took the project to Brown where final plans were drawn up.
"Brown has a quality product. These units reflect Brown's attention to detail," says O.J. Watson co-owner Mark Eckrich.
The unit called the command center, inspired by Denver Water's needs during a big fire several years ago, has additional space for computer and paper work. It is wired to accommodate computers and overhead lights, also operated by a generator.
"These solid, purpose-built units are designed for a 24-7 work site," says Ron Smith, who managed the project for Brown Specialty Vehicles. "The use of a hook and boom truck saves the expense of having multiple vehicles to transport the wagons. With chassis cost being the single largest cost item in a mobile vehicle application, by using the hook and boom undercarriage, this cost is eliminated or greatly reduced."
Cooperation was key to these units built by Brown.
"Brown worked successfully in conjunction with our dealer and end user to arrive at the interior layout that would best meet the needs of the end user," says Brown president Dane Jennison.