BANGOR – Investigators with the State Fire Marshal’s Office now have two mobile command posts at their disposal.

The units, designed to serve as both an office on wheels and shelter for personnel, are a welcome addition for investigators and supervisors who often must work in remote locations and in severe weather.

According to Sgt. Stewart Jacobs, one of the units is assigned to the northernmost eight counties of Maine, including Penobscot, and the other to the southern part of the state, though both may be deployed to the scenes of significant fires or explosions. The northern Maine command post was on display Friday at the Department of Transportation’s facility on Hogan Road.

The mobile command posts, 20-foot-long trailers, were custom-built by Wells Fargo at a cost of $21,000 apiece. Construction was based on a design developed by a team of State Fire Marshal’s Office personnel. The trailers can be hitched to any of the pickup trucks used by state fire officials.

“It was quite an efficient and cost-effective way to enhance our abilities. This really lets us extend the use of what we have,” said Jacobs, who helped design the units.

Though the units were custom made, they are far from plush. The one on display in Bangor was divided into two small work areas and sparsely furnished. White resin lawn chairs serve as seating and basic white counters built into the wall provide work space. Jacobs said that more equipment, including ladders and a video camera, will be added as the budget allows.

The front portion of the trailers will serve as an area for interviews and interrogations, offering privacy to victims, families and suspects alike. Jacobs said that he and his staff often had to conduct such interviews in their vehicles.

The “command post” section at the back will serve as work space for personnel from the State Fire Marshal’s Office and other agencies called to fire and explosion sites. The room is designed so that investigators can set up laptop computers, fax machines, printers and other equipment they keep in their vehicles. There also is space for processing and storing evidence.

According to Jacobs, the trailers are powered by generators, which also can be used for portable power tools, lights and other equipment.