BUILT AMERICA MAGAZINE
For agencies balancing grants, budgets and fiscal years, longevity becomes part of the investment. REMOVING THE WAYS IT CAN FAIL Disaster response is unforgiving of weak assumptions. Electricity disappears, communications are disrupted and crews may be working through the night. “After a couple thousand vans, you learn that reliability is mostly a list of things you decided not to do,” McCauslin says. VanDoit avoids generators whenever possible. It does not use wood in its interiors. Mechanical fasteners replace adhesives, while marine-grade materials withstand rain, heavy use and repeated sanitation.
“Every one of those decisions removes a way for the unit to fail on the worst day.”
Of all those decisions, power has commanded particular attention.
“Power has been my obsession since the early days of this company,” McCauslin says, “and it’s the part of the build I’d least want to cut corners on.” Each unit carries a lithium battery system independent of the engine, with three ways to charge: solar, the vehicle’s charging system and shore power. Command vehicles can keep radios, routers, monitors and cellular or satellite connectivity operating. Clinics can maintain refrigeration, climate control and telehealth.
“Power has been my obsession since the early days of this company,” Jared McCauslin, Co-Founder and CEO of VanDoit
Yet capability means little if the people relying on it cannot operate it under pressure.
“The person running the unit at 2 a.m. after a storm is a nurse or a deputy, not an electrician,” McCauslin says.
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