Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) on Wednesday will participate in the Capitol Hill presentation of the “Outstanding 9-1-1 Call Center Award” to Monmouth County’s 911 Center for its “overall excellence in serving the public.”
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) on Wednesday participated in the Capitol Hill presentation of the “Outstanding 9-1-1 Call Center Award” to Monmouth County’s 911 Center for its “overall excellence in serving the public.”
“At some point in our lives, each of us has or will turn to our first responders in emergency cases,” Rep. Smith said. “It is paramount that the response be prompt and diligent. I am so proud of Monmouth County’s 911 call center for being a top center in the country for serving our communities with excellence in their moments of greatest need.”
Monmouth County 911 Center was honored on Wednesday in Washington, D.C. at the 15th annual 9-1-1 Honor Awards Ceremony hosted by the NG911 Institute, for its “overall excellence” in its emergency response and its use of technology. The center was one of only two local centers nationwide to be honored with the “Outstanding 9-1-1 Call Center/Program” award, manifesting its outstanding response time and efficient use of technology in emergencies.
Monmouth County Sheriff Shaun Golden was on hand for the presentation of the award on Wednesday, along with Undersheriff Bob Dawson.
The call center provides critical services for not only the citizens of Monmouth County, but also the hundreds of thousands of tourists who vacation on its beaches in the summer. The Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office Communications Division processes over 750,000 emergency calls per year. The call center serves as a dispatch for 56 fire departments, 30 first aid squads, and 20 police squads, as well as Brookdale Community College, Monmouth University, Gateway National Park-Sandy Hook, and Naval Weapons Station Earle.
Its primary center is a 45,000 square foot facility with 110 full-time staff members in Freehold, in Smith’s district, and its backup center is in Neptune, also in Smith’s district; the facilities were upgraded after Superstorm Sandy to prepare for future extreme weather conditions, and they can now operate in a category 5 hurricane.
The center was also recognized on Wednesday for its scaling of its IT systems in a fee-for-service model to assist local communities whose response systems may be antiquated and who may not have the resources to upgrade their own systems. By operating as a central command center, the call center also allows local communities to communicate with each other during a large-scale crisis.
Wednesday’s ceremony also marked the 50th anniversary of 9-1-1, which began with the first 911 emergency call on February 16, 1968.
“With many local communities unable to afford much-needed upgrades to their emergency response systems, Monmouth County’s Sheriff’s Office is providing a way forward for local and regional response centers to adapt to future crises,” Smith said. “I am looking to the center to continue providing first-class service to local residents. This award is well-deserved.”
