Politics & Government

Administrators Present $2M Joint Dispatch Proposal to BH Council

Project would satisfy much-needed dispatch upgrades for the four communities involved, provide enhanced technology, equipment that wouldn't be otherwise possible.

Doug Marvin, New Providence Borough Administrator, and Chris Cotter, City Administrator of Summit, presented an overview of the proposed Watchung Ridge Emergency Services Dispatch Center to Berkeley Heights Town Council on Tuesday night.

The Proposal: This $1,197,450 project would merge emergency services between the township, Summit, Millburn and New Providence, with the possibility of contracting services with other communities in the future.

Cotter said three independent studies were conducted, which concluded that a shared dispatch center for the four communities would be feasible and would save money for each community.

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“Each of the communities currently staff their respective dispatch functions of Police, Fire, and EMS through a variety of ways,” Cotter explained. “Some are combined, others outsourced. All of them, however, are facing large expenditures to upgrade facilities, equipment and technology. The regional approach will allow all of the participating communities the benefit of enhanced equipment and technology that otherwise would not be available.”

Goals: 

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  • Develop a multi-discipline dispatch center where staffing levels are adequate to deal with multiple emergency calls simultaneously
  • Develop a shared environment where integrated technology will assure compliance with local dispatch protocols and assure that protocols meet national standards
  • Enhance professionalism and service delivery through technology that would otherwise be cost prohibitive
  • Eliminate duplicate purchasing for 9-1-1, computer technology and other equipment
  • Provide a consolidated dispatch service at reduced per capita cost to taxpayers

The Allocation of Costs: Cotter and Marvin said the project would be divided into two funding sections. The first is Capital Improvements, which would be shared equally through contributions of the four communities.

  • Capital contribution from each municipality is $205,000, totaling $820,000
  • Reflecting
    • Renovation costs at - $452,550
    • Implementation Consultant - $100,000
    • Includes:
      • Architect
      • Radio and telephone
      • Technology
    • Interim Director - $50,000
    • Project Manager - $35,000
    • Contingency - $182,450

The second is through Technology and Communication, which would be paid for through a $1.6 million grant conjured by the Summit Police, with $745,000 already saved for technology and communication upgrades, and furnishings. The remaining grant funds need to be used for technology by the end of the year.

Year-to-Year Cost: Council President Kevin Hall said that this is a long-term commitment for each community and asked how the cost sharing would be determined each year. He also asked if there would be the ability to switch to a different model if need be.

Cotter said that is a key question that has been brought up throughout this process. While there isn’t a perfect answer, Cotter said it seems that a census metric would be the best place to start for cost sharing.

Marvin said there isn’t a right model carved in stone so the intent would be, after the first year has passed and information is gathered, the joint meeting group – consisting of representatives from each community – would evaluate the data and see if the model is equitable.

Dispatchers: Councilman Thomas Pirone asked how many staff members would be hired and how many dispatchers would work in any given shift.

Marvin said the proposed model would include 5 full-time dispatchers working during the day shifts and 3 full-time dispatchers working the overnight shifts, with other part-time dispatchers filling in as needed. During those shifts, at least one of the fulltime dispatchers would also serve as the supervisor or “lead dispatcher.”

Pirone also asked if an IT professional would be staffed at the proposed dispatch center in the event any equipment breaks down.

Cotter said the results of one of the studies conducted recommended a fulltime IT person be staffed at the shared dispatch center. But he explained that when looking for an Executive Director for the dispatch center, the joint meeting group would perhaps look for someone who has IT experience.

Marvin also said many dispatchers who are hired can usually deal with IT issues on a regular basis.

Next Step For Project: Marvin said although the latest study from L.R. Kimball said it would take 8 months to construct the facility and secure all equipment, it’s more realistic to say that it would take a year to complete.

Marvin and Cotter said , Summit Council last week and they are waiting for a decision from Millburn.

Both councils reviewed the proposal and the costs involved, and agreed to move forward with the project as long as the other communities move forward with it, too. However, if one or more communities decide not to participate, Cotter and Marvin said the financial impact for the remaining communities would be recalculated and another presentation would be made.

Next Step for Town Council: “I think the important thing to note is dispatch is very important," Council President Kevin Hall told Patch after the meeting. "It’s an essential service and the infrastructure here is so degraded that you can’t service it anymore. There are either people who can’t service it or you can’t find parts to service it. So we really, in terms of keeping up with the integrity of the response service, we have to make a business decision during this calendar year.”

Hall said if council members do decide to move forward with the joint dispatch center project, it will take the better part of a year to actually build and make operational. However, if the council decides to upgrade Berkeley Heights dispatch services alone, it will probably take about 120 days to complete. Regardless, Hall said it’s paramount that council members reach a decision quickly, hopefully by June, because the town needs to upgrade dispatch services one way or another.

From now, Hall said council members are going to review the dispatch center proposal and begin to have public discussions about what path council should take.


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