GULF SHORES, Ala. – The Gulf Shores police department got to roll out its new mobile command post for the Hangout Festival last weekend and Chief Edward Delmore came away pleased with how it worked.

About three weeks ago the post received its new look with Gulf Shores logos and a beach-scene photo spelling out the letters GSPD.

“We think it’s very attractive and functional at the same time,” Delmore said. “We’re proud of it. It looks good and obviously served us well down there.”

A couple of police officers came up with the design on the trailer, Patrolman Neal Gough and Community Resource Officer Josh Coleman.

Gough earned a degree in mass communications advertising before joining the police department.

“We a photographer take some pictures and we put them into photoshop,” Gough said. “It was all done by computer on our end. The patch and the badge were already made.”

Delmore said considering the size of the crowds attending the Hangout Festival, it went well as far as the police department was concerned.

“Smooth,” he said. “It was the number of arrests and incidents that we expect from a major event like that and relatively speaking, few. There were 40-plus actually taken into custody, several others cited. Not bad when you consider 35,000 people each and every day.”

The new trailer was part of what made it so smooth, Delmore said.

“It was down there throughout the event and it was used fully throughout the event,” he said. “It was invaluable to us.”

According to officials with Gulf Shores Fire and Rescue, the agency saw approximately 468 people in first aid and triage with 24 being transported for various medical issues between Friday and Sunday. Most were minor injuries, dehydration, and heat emergencies.

The trailer was bought with impact fees for the police department in January. Delmore found one for sale at a bargain price and thought the time was right to fill a departmental need.

“We’ve been borrowing a command post whenever we had an event where it is appropriate to have a command post outside of our primary headquarters,’ Delmore said at a January council meeting.

The tow-behind trailer is a 20-by-eight model with lots of amenities, including heating and air conditioning.

“It has a low-noise generator that is appropriate for our uses and it also does have the equipment to place five personnel inside along with some items we would need to maintain our personnel,” Delmore said. “The work station area can accommodate a number of people you would typically need to run an operation.”

Delmore said the unit would come in handy at events like concerts, the National Shrimp Festival, road races, tropical events and patrol in the beach patrol district where Delmore says they are trying to increase presence.

The trailer also has a camera system on the outside, electronic communications inside, computers and room for five officers to work.

“It … does have the equipment to place five personnel inside along with some items we would need to maintain our personnel,” Delmore said. “The work station area can accommodate a number of people you would typically need to run an operation.”