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Oceanport and West Long Branch To Share Emergency Communications and Dispatch Services

By Mayor Michael J. Mahon, Oceanport and Mayor Janet W. Tucci, West Long Branch

On behalf of the Governing Body of our respective communities, we are proud to announce a shared service agreement to provide emergency communications & dispatch services in a joint operation hosted by the West Long Branch Police in the their recently constructed state of the art facility on Broadway. Oceanport will pay West Long Branch $150,000 annually, cutting current annual costs for local dispatch by nearly 50% for each community. Annual increases of 2% are included in the agreement with the boroughs projecting a joint savings of $1.3 Million over the initial five (5) year term.

 

Leading the local effort has been a Joint Public Safety Committee with representatives from each municipality. Representing Oceanport has been Mayor Michael J. Mahon, Council Members Jay Briscione (now John W. Ibex) & William Johnson along with Police Chief Harold Sutton and Borough Administrator Kimberly A. Jungfer. Representing West Long Branch has been Mayor Janet W. Tucci, Council President Barbara Ruane, Council Members Christopher Neyhart and J. Thomas DeBruin along with Police Chief Arthur A. Cosentino, Captain Larry Mihlon and Borough Administrator John J. Kennedy.

 

Today marks the beginning of a cooperative effort to reduce the cost of essential services on local taxpayers and meet the requirements of the 2% Cap Law for both borough’s in their 2011 budget. This agreement establishes a single dispatch center in West Long Branch providing public safety communications for two police departments working together on a single frequency. At the same time, it provides a communications console in Oceanport as a back up and for local emergency operations. Thanks are due to the entire Oceanport and West Long Branch Council’s for supporting the efforts of the Joint Committee.

 

West Long Branch and Oceanport share history and a special relationship with each other dating back to our origins as municipalities and includes regional public schools, recreation programs, environmental advocacy and mutual aid for fire and first aid. Our focus on shared dispatch services as a means to controlling property taxes marks a time in New Jersey where the emphasis on doing more with less is ever present. This effort began in 2008 with the first 50% reduction in state aid for municipalities of less than 10,000 residents. Mayors Tucci and Mahon echoed the same concerns and encouraged our governing bodies to examine every opportunity to match services.   Together we have forged this partnership to make the financial and technological resources available, and bring about a solution that protects our Public Safety personnel and serves our residents. Today, the reality is Oceanport and West Long Branch are in this together. And together we have worked, and will continue to work on completing this project. Discussions on merging or sharing other services are being studied.

 

Along the way we have needed the support and cooperation of the Police Departments; Chief Arthur Cosentino and Captain Larry Mihlon accompanied by Chief Harold Sutton and Captain Mauro Baldanza (Ret.). Their support and professionalism will determine our mutual success and we are depending on their continued commitment to this effort. The Joint Public Safety Committee will play a continuing role in accordance with the Inter Local Agreement. The next phase has already begun; equipment and software are being installed, and staff is being reduced through attrition or transfer. Joint dispatch operations are set to begin as early as April 1, 2011. Residents won’t notice a difference and will continue to dial 9-1-1 for emergencies and use the current non-emergency numbers for other police business

Posted: March 3rd, 2011 | Author: | Filed under: Oceanport, Shared Services, West Long Branch | Tags: , , | Comments Off on Oceanport and West Long Branch To Share Emergency Communications and Dispatch Services