Report on Dispatch System is Due Soon

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"Once we get them all back, all that information will be compiled and presented to the county. We will know, by municipality, how much it is going to cost," Jones said.

A centralized dispatch center could be built at the Atlantic City International Airport in Egg Harbor Township. It would handle all dispatch duties for police, fire and rescue squads in the county.

The center would be located in a building built by the South Jersey Transportation Authority, which would handle fire operations at the airport.

The transportation authority plans to relocate its current dispatch operations at the Farley Service Plaza on the Atlantic City Expressway in Mullica Township to the new facility, Jones said.

Jones said the center is a "perfect opportunity" to centralize dispatch operations, allowing emergency squads to communicate with other emergency personnel in neighboring counties.

The proposal is as close to reality as it ever has been.

First discussed about 14 years ago, some local officials have balked for fear of "losing that home touch" over their dispatching duties, Jones said.

"From the public safety side, we have to look at emergency services," Jones said. "We have to provide faster resources, more efficient resource use and a quicker response time. We feel we are going to be able to that."

Jones said he hopes to receive the municipalities' surveys by Friday so a report can be issued to the county and all municipalities later in January.

"We're looking to have a 'go' or 'no go' decision by February," Jones said.

Originally published December 31, 2008

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