Green Brook Police, EMS Dispatching Transferring to Somerset County

The Green Brook Township Committee unanimously approved a resolution for shared services with Somerset County, transferring dispatch services to Somerset County Communications.

Township authorities determined improvements in service, officer safety and overall operations could be realized with a transfer of communications to a larger entity with greater resources, Green Brook Township said.

“Working as an emergency services dispatcher is highly demanding” Police Chief G. Christopher Kurz said. “They are responsible for handling calls for service, relaying information and maintaining ongoing contact with the officers, firefighters and medical personnel, monitoring various radio and computer systems and entering data, all while ensuring the correct resources are being deployed as quickly as possible.”

Township officials said one of the benefits of transferring service is that the county has numerous dispatchers trained to handle police, fire and EMS service communications working at all times. Additionally, when a dispatcher is absent, an officer will cover the dispatch position, reducing the number of officers on patrol, officials said.

Green Brook Township will save more than $100,000 the first year in salaries and benefits and will enter into a shared services agreement with the county, at no cost to the township.

“Having multiple dispatchers available to respond to Green Brook’s emergency needs creates a clear benefit to our community,” Green Brook Mayor Jerry Searfoss said. “This also means improvement to officer safety, response times and overall operations. We commend Chief Kurz for his thorough investigation and his continued dedication to improving public safety in Green Brook.”