Butler County will no longer be the only county in Western Pennsylvania without a mobile command post trailer.

The county commissioners at their Wednesday meeting approved a request by Steve Bicehouse, emergency services director, to purchase a command post trailer from Mobile Concepts for $278,346.

Bicehouse explained the county has to borrow command post trailers from Allegheny, Beaver, Mercer or Lawrence counties when an incident or event crops up, and in three instances, none were available.

He said in the most recent incident, the State Police needed a trailer for a long-term investigation.

The trailer would be used for emergencies and law enforcement as well as planned events such as fairs and festivals, long power outages and elections.

“We definitely have shown a need,” Bicehouse said.

The unit will be built by Mobile Concepts, based in Westmoreland County, so if any repairs are needed, the company is close by.

The command post trailer will be stored indoors in Summit Township, Bicehouse said.

“We definitely want to protect it,” he said.

The trailer was included in the emergency services budget, Bicehouse said.

He did not indicate when the trailer would be delivered to the county.