OBPD gets grant money to upgrade 911 system BY JESSICA SMITH Staff Writer Pictured in the current Old Bridge 911 dispatch center, where technology will soon be replaced, are 911 Coordinator Jeanette Nielsen (seated), Police Chief Thomas Collow (standing, from left), Capt. Robert Weiss, Mayor James T. Phillips and Bonnie Heug of the New Jersey Office of Emergency Technology. OLD BRIDGE - Township residents can feel even more confident that help in an emergency is only a phone call away. The police department received two grants totaling $548,000 from the New Jersey Office of Information Technology. Both are aimed at helping to maintain and enhance the squad's 911 facility. "We're taking ourselves into the next generation of technology to be prepared to protect the public and keep them as safe as possible," Old Bridge Police Capt. Bob Weiss said. The larger of the two grants totals $489,000 and will provide upgraded hardware and software at the township's 911 center, or PSAP (Public Safety Access Point). "The equipment grant allows us to upgrade and modernize equipment," Weiss said. "That's all the hardware and software that gets that call to the trained dispatcher, that can provide the life-saving information and dispatch that security personnel." The equipment grant will also allow for an additional dispatcher's station there, bringing the possible staff capacity to four individuals at a given time, Weiss said. He pointed out that while the current facility is up to par, the population growth of the town, along with the large amount of traffic passing through along the Garden State Parkway and Routes 9, 18, 35 and 34, makes an additional dispatcher a prudent decision. In order to receive the grant, the department had to submit a proposal stating how the funds would be utilized, Weiss said. Currently, the PSAP is staffed with three dispatchers during peak hours, and the additional station will allow for backup during large-scale emergencies, according to Weiss. A general assistance grant in the amount of $59,000 pays for maintenance and replacement of equipment, when necessary. It aids in offsetting the costs of operation for the PSAP, Weiss said. This is the third consecutive year Old Bridge has been able to secure the general assistance grant, the amount of which is calculated by using a formula based on the population of a municipality, Weiss said. "We're receiving the maximum number we can get," Weiss said. The grant monies come from the 911 systems and emergency response fees paid by phone customers throughout the state, according to John Cusack, of the state Office of Emergency Telecommunication Services. He said the charges apply to both cell phones and land lines, and consist of a 90-cent fee each month.