COUNCILREVIEWSDISPATCHOPTIONS WITHEYETOWARDSAVINGMONEY

BY MICHAEL OLOHAN OF PASCACK PRESS

EMERSON

Borough Council discussed options March 7 for outsourcing emergency dispatch to two other boroughs or the county as costsaving alternatives to continuing with the boroughʼs own dispatchers.

No decisions were made after the hour-long discussion. The council discussion followed up on a Feb. 7 council discussion on alternatives to local dispatch.

These discussion follow a Feb. 4 preliminary budget session where Mayor Danielle DiPaola said the borough was faced with “significant tax increases this year” and that outsourcing of police dispatch was likely on the table.

DiPaola said the budget increases were mostly due to contractual obligations, including garbage collection, police, DPW salaries, and insurance.

Of the three dispatch options discussed between Paramus, Westwood and the county Public Safety Operations Center (PSOC), transitioning to the county dispatch service, based in Mahwah and Paramus, was estimated to cost $219,820 annually, versus keeping the dispatch operation inhouse, estimated to cost $375,900 to $387,109, depending on police overtime needed.

Transitioning to the Westwood Dispatch, which now serves only Westwood, was estimated to cost $227,800, annually plus a record clerkʼs salary and benefits.

Transitioning to Paramus,which now serves only Paramus, was estimated to cost $230,000, plus a records clerk. Both Paramus and Westwood would require Emerson to purchase and install radio frequency repeaters to boost radio transmissions.

Northwest Bergen Central Regional Dispatch, Ridgewood, would cost approximately $368,800 annually, they reported. Council reviewed a spreadsheet listing the costs for alternative dispatch options prepared by Lauren Roehrer, borough chief financial officer.

Pascack Press requested a copy of the spreadsheet March 13 and received it that day from the clerkʼs office.

On a monthly basis, Administrator Rob Hermansen said the “biggest savings” lie with the county Public Safety Operations Center costing $16,650 per month and the next closest in cost, Westwood, costing an estimated $18,985 per month, with needed extra equipment costs included.

The spreadsheet noted if the borough switched to county PSOC on June 1 2023, total savings would be about $100,000; if the borough switched as of July 1, savings would be $78,840.

For 2024, the dispatch outsource options show potential sav- ings of:

• County PSOC ($183.940);

•Westwood ($155,940);

• Paramus ($61,940); and

• Northwest Bergen Central Regional Dispatch ($18,940).

Police Chief Michael Mazzeo told the council he saw a problem with increasing costs related to Emersonʼs dispatch service and looked at the options available to address the problem. He said often part-time dispatchers are hired, trained, and leave for other positions, which remains a problem, plus the need to fill in for dispatchers on vacation or out sick.

Mazzeo said his first recourse is to call local dispatchers to find a fill in. If none are available, he will try to place a police officer there if one is available. If not, he calls in a police officer for overtime on the dispatch desk. He previously said police overtime costs for 2023 to cover dispatch are already over budget.

Mazzeo said he would prefer the county PSOC dispatch because they have multiple dispatchers working daily and during high-volume call times, when one dispatcher is busy or overwhelmed, calls can be picked up by a nearby dispatcher. “I think thatʼs safer,” said the chief, comparing the county dispatch set-up to Westwood and Paramus, where generally only one dispatcher would be available for Emerson.

DiPaola said Westwood and Paramus recently contacted Emerson following a “well-publicized newspaper article” in Pascack Press (“Council Hears Police Dispatch Proposals,” Michael Olohan, Feb. 20, 2023) that reported on the borough considering dispatch options due to high dispatcher turnover and increasing costs.

The chief said in February that they had trained 15 dispatchers in the last three years who left for other positions.

He also said that should Emerson decide to enter into a shared-service dispatch center with either Westwood or Paramus, they would be the “guinea pig” for that townʼs dispatch center, as both towns currently only service their residents.

Mazzeo said he would be happy to continue with the local dispatch center if that was the councilʼs desire, but noted that the same problems with newly trained dispatchers leaving, staffing the operation during 24/7 operations, and increasing costs to cover shifts remain.

He said based on his nearly three decades of service, and a near-similar amount by Capt. Mark Savino, both were in agreement that the best option to save money and provide dispatch services during unexpected emergency situations was to go with county PSOC.

He also noted that Emerson recently brought radios that use the county signal for transmission.

Local Dispatchers Speak Out

Near the discussionʼs end, a few local dispatchers questioned aspects of police overtime, possible future jobs if outsourced, and current pay for part-time dis-

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