Centralized County Dispatch Center Possible at Stockton College

After years of planning and researching by government officials, Freeholders in Atlantic County are preparing to take the next step toward consolidating the 9-1-1 dispatch services into one facility, and that facility may be the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey in Galloway.

The 9-1-1 Consolidation Feasibility Study, conducted by the county in 2007 by L. Robert Kimball and Associates, analyzed the benefits and negatives of having localized dispatching as opposed to a centralized dispatching system.

The study found that localized dispatching service hampers multi-jurisdictional efforts to respond to a crisis. It also found that the varying levels of services between municipality creates liability and cost efficiencies not achievable without a centralized dispatch and creates an undo burden on taxpayers.

The operational findings of the study found that a majority of dispatch services are run by law enforcement, varying degrees of training and basis requirements exist and that most dispatchers are assigned tasks outside of traditional emergency communication functions.

During the study Kimball interviewed dispatchers in the county and found concerns including a lack of confidence in the county and dispatchers having a desire to keep a local touch and personal service. He also discovered that they are already pleased with their level of service.

The study also found that a negative of consolidation could be the loss of intimate geographic knowledge of a local jurisdiction.

Kimball recommended to the county that it proceed with the development of potential consolidation models, including organizational structure, staffing, high-level budgetary costs, governance structure, specific technology needs, funding mechanisms and start up costs.

They also have recommended that the county determine the degree of all municipalities involvement and that the county enlist a firm to develop site development, programming and design of a consolidated communications facility.

The County Board of Freeholders has plans in place with Stockton to build the command center on the campus with the blessing of Stockton President Dr. Herman Saatkamp.

At the Atlantic County Freeholders meeting on Oct. 2 in Absecon, Freeholder Frank Giordano spoke on the plans to build a facility on Stockton property.

“Dr. Saatkamp is 100 percent behind us and he is very excited to he get the shovel in the ground.” said Giordano. “The location is definite. I think we need to put a business plan together and get this thing rolling so we break ground in this new year coming.”

The cost of the project was estimated in the multimillions.

“There is a 36-40 million dollar capital investment and that is something we are wrestling with and we do not know if Stockton will contribute”, said Freeholder Chairman Frank Formica. “It's big money and certainly the need and the public safety aspect of it is indisputable the efficiency of it is indisputable”

The freeholder board agreed to putting together a business plan.

“The Stockton location is excellent, obviously they are going to occupy a space in the building for their police department so they are going to be a partner in this situation. How we work out the numbers is still up in the air,” said Freeholder John Risley. “But they obviously have to put money into this situation.”

Atlantic County Executive Dennis Levinson supports consolidation of the county's dispatching services but was emphatic about the fact that the county would not force the issue upon the municipalities.

“I support consolidation and sharing of services. It's cheaper in the long run. This is going to be an expensive proposition for the county to take over all of the dispatching for the rest of Atlantic County,” said Levinson. “As soon as the municipalities and the mayors say we want this done, fine, but we're not going to spin our wheels. They're going to have to tell us what they want. We don't tell them.”

Levinson explained that the municipalities have not been cooperative with the county on researching the issue.

“We sent a questionnaire around twice and the response was about 50 percent,” said Levinson, “Not a very long questionnaire. It asked how many people do you have working at dispatch, what type of equipment do you have, how much does it cost you?”

When asked if voters have been asking their municipalities for the county to take over Levinson said that they feel safe with the status quo.

“The voters feel secure having their own dispatch systems within their own municipalities, as long as you explain to them it doesn't matter where the call goes in as long as the ambulance gets there on time. It's still very difficult, plus you don't have police departments that are cooperative. They like to have control of the calls coming in, so there is a lot involved. You have police chiefs that are basically balking and you have fire chiefs that want it.”

While Levinson supports consolidation he was sure that it would be an expensive project.

“You are going to have over 100 employees after the building gets built and you are going to need supervisors, you are going to need 24 hour shifts, it's going to be extremely expensive,” Levinson said.

The 9-1-1 Consolidation Feasibility Study found that of the 18 dispatching services in the county, 132 people are employed full time along with 46 part time employees.

One of the issues Levinson described was the fact that some municipalities have old equipment that is antiquated and, in turn, support consolidation.

The flip side to the coin is the municipalities who recently purchased new equipment are not interested in consolidation.

This back and forth has stymied consolidation efforts.

“I'm not going to fight with the municipalities and they know that it's there.” 

The Atlantic County Board of Freeholders will be meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 16 in Mays Landing at the County Government Complex on 5909 Main Street