FB police and Fire Departments may lose dispatcher

[BrianSullivan]

From a source inside the police department I learned not too long ago that the borough may do way with the dispatchers this year and use the county system in order to save money. I was told to keep quiet about this, but the news is hitting the Internet elsewhere and I do believe it is credible information. Some of the Internet buzz states that the county may not be able to handle us at this time.

Internet buzz is also stating that the fire department may lose its dispatch as well.

Of course, we will keep up on these breaking issues. It is going to be a tough year. While the town needs money, nobody wants to see people lose their jobs either.

[Mike Rosseel]

Apr 1, 2010 15:51:26 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

From a source inside the police department I learned not too long ago that the borough may do way with the dispatchers this year and use the county system in order to save money. I was told to keep quiet about this, but the news is hitting the Internet elsewhere and I do believe it is credible information. Some of the Internet buzz states that the county may not be able to handle us at this time.

Internet buzz is also stating that the fire department may lose its dispatch as well.

Of course, we will keep up on these breaking issues. It is going to be a tough year. While the town needs money, nobody wants to see people lose their jobs either.

Brian,

I have spoke to a few police officers from town and this doesn't seem like a very good idea. I was told a few points which make this seem like a move that makes no sense. Here are a few points that were brought to my attention;

1. Computers will now have to be purchased and installed in all our patrol cars(believe there are 12). So the purchase and maintenance will have an additional cost to the boro.

2. Response time will be slower. Our dispatchers know the town and can easily direct our officers as were to go, will the county 911 callers be as fast? I also believe we have to pay the county for use of the 911 program.

3. When a person is arrested and brought back to the police station you can not leave them unattended, the dispatchers watched them in the cells, who will do this now? An officer will have to come off the street and sit there, isn't that wasting money and not a good idea?

4. Someone comes into the station for a domestic case or is being followed, how would they get the police to assist them? Will they have to sit there and wait? couldn't that lead to a dangerous situation?

All in all our police have an incredibly hard job, why make it harder? We have a fine department, lets make life better for them, lets make there jobs to flow as easy as possible! Isn't there another avenue to take to save money? It seems to me, taking an officer off the street or making a person in danger wait at headquarters is a recipe for disaster. I hope the council rethinks this decision and finds another way to save money!

[BrianSullivan]

Apr 3, 2010 7:00:37 GMT -5 Mike Rosseel said:

Apr 1, 2010 15:51:26 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

From a source inside the police department I learned not too long ago that the borough may do way with the dispatchers this year and use the county system in order to save money. I was told to keep quiet about this, but the news is hitting the Internet elsewhere and I do believe it is credible information. Some of the Internet buzz states that the county may not be able to handle us at this time.

Internet buzz is also stating that the fire department may lose its dispatch as well.

Of course, we will keep up on these breaking issues. It is going to be a tough year. While the town needs money, nobody wants to see people lose their jobs either.

Brian,

I have spoke to a few police officers from town and this doesn't seem like a very good idea. I was told a few points which make this seem like a move that makes no sense. Here are a few points that were brought to my attention;

1. Computers will now have to be purchased and installed in all our patrol cars(believe there are 12). So the purchase and maintenance will have an additional cost to the boro.

2. Response time will be slower. Our dispatchers know the town and can easily direct our officers as were to go, will the county 911 callers be as fast? I also believe we have to pay the county for use of the 911 program.

3. When a person is arrested and brought back to the police station you can not leave them unattended, the dispatchers watched them in the cells, who will do this now? An officer will have to come off the street and sit there, isn't that wasting money and not a good idea?

4. Someone comes into the station for a domestic case or is being followed, how would they get the police to assist them? Will they have to sit there and wait? couldn't that lead to a dangerous situation?

All in all our police have an incredibly hard job, why make it harder? We have a fine department, lets make life better for them, lets make there jobs to flow as easy as possible! Isn't there another avenue to take to save money? It seems to me, taking an officer off the street or making a person in danger wait at headquarters is a recipe for disaster. I hope the council rethinks this decision and finds another way to save money!

Mike, Before I begin, take note that at this point I have not endorsed the idea.

From a fiscal standpoint, it makes sense to go to the county. Employee costs are the highest part of operations in most cases. Those computers you mention will still be cheaper than any one person. But......

Your post is exactly why I hesitate to say its a great idea. First, I hate seeing people lose jobs. It seems every day the papers are reporting more and more towns laying off teachers, police, and others. That sucks. Just like the housing market, stock market and the economy in general often have slumps to make adjustments, we are seeing that everywhere in government. This is a great indicator as to how bad the economy as a whole is.

I like your post because it shows that a really good assessment has got to be made as to how the services in this town will be affected. Public safety is not something to be trifled with.

More than anything, I will be very interested in hearing what Councilmen Sims and Dibenedetto have to say. They are both firemen and will likely offer interesting perspectives on this- if they publicly opine.

[BrianSullivan]

Last night was the first meeting of the month and the topic of cutting the dispatch positions was one of the hot topics of the night. Borough hall was packed with many people with many concerns. Among them were members of the police and fire departments.

Right before the public comments began, the Mayor read from a prepared speech about the difficult choice the governing body had made. The Mayor began by citing just how bleak the financial outlook is at this time. With a bad economy and state aid cuts reaching 36 percent over a three year period, the town has had little choice but to make difficult decisions. This years state aid reduction is $ 321,000.

The Mayor also cited how the town has been working to change and meet the needs of the tax payer while dealing with fiscal realities. The town has changed recycling and insurance carriers, for example.

At this time we are going to use the county system for the fire department but the police department is still in the works. The gross annual savings for both of these departmental changes will be $531,000. There will be initial start up costs, but those will be first year. There is a plan to keep one person for taking calls in the police and fire departments. There will also be a purchase of a security system for the fire department and borough hall.

The Mayor made it clear that he completely understand the concerns that people at the meeting have. He realized that in an economy like this with a bad job market, it is an awful time to lay people off. But, he also made it clear that times are tough. He stated that the seven people sitting up there have to make tough decisions and if they cannot, do not belong there. The Mayor understands that cuts have consequences in a small town like Freehold where everyone knows one another.

After the Mayor spoke, Ryan Baily and Jack Reich man from the fire department addressed the council. Baily read a resolution that the fire department had passed, opposing the loss of their dispatch. The resolution cited all that the dispatch does for the town and the advantages of having our own.

During council comments, all of the governing body addressed this issue. Councilman Dibenedetto was absent. Kevin Kane started off saying that he has a soft spot in his heart for the fire department. He is a former fireman who understands the concerns.

Councilwoman Shutzer stated that this is an emotional issue for her as well. Her husband was a fireman for 30 years and she is the commissioner. Shutzer mentioned that years ago this idea of using the county came up. At that time she fought hard against this idea. She said that she has not changed, the times have and this was not an easy decision at all.

Councilman Newman was very brief, but made clear that these are tough decisions, not easy to make. Newman, Kane, and Schnurr sit on the finance committee.

Councilman Schnurr stated that this is a big picture issue. He restated the state cuts that we have faced and that more challenges lay ahead. Schnurr also stated that public safety is very important and the biggest part of the municipal pie. Shnurr also mentioned a resolution the council had passed and sent to Governor Christy whereas the governing body asked that the tax increases on the rich be continued. This is the millionaires tax that kicks in on people making 400,00 dollars a year or more. Schnurr claims that the tax raises a bit over a billion dollars a year and if the Governor had not allowed that tax to lapse, we would not be making these choices we are now.

Last, and never least, Council President Jaye Sims spoke about the dispatch loss. Sims mentioned that this is a very personal issue for him, He sits on both sides as a councilman and a fireman. He has also worked dispatch for the police and fire departments. This has been a very difficult choice for him.

The Mayor finished up by thanking everybody for a strong show of civility on a night when concerned people came out in force. He said that is a true reflection of the goodness of the people in our town.

* one point omitted above- the council decision to use the county dispatch was unanimous one.

[BrianSullivan]

More than anything, I will be very interested in hearing what Councilmen Sims and Dibenedetto have to say. They are both firemen and will likely offer interesting perspectives on this- if they publicly opine.

In a previous thread I wrote the above. I just need to clarify my statement. There is not an ounce of criticism to found in it. The statement is simply a recognition that some of the council are certainly in a position where very tough choices had to be made.

Here is the link to the APP write up:

www.app.com/article/20100405/NEWS/100405125/1285/LOCAL09/Change-in-fire-department-dispatching-disputed-in-Freehold

One interesting bit of info is found in that article:

No one will be laid off. One borough dispatcher will fill a vacancy in the water and sewer department, while a second fire department dispatcher will stay as a firehouse person Monday through Friday. A third full-time position was already vacant because of a retirement, Bellina said.

That is a good thing to see people staying employed.
I read the APP comments and at least one person does not get what it means. The dispatch positions are being terminated, but the people in them are filling vacant positions elsewhere. That is a win/win

[Mike Rosseel]

Brian,

My question becomes now, what about the police dispatchers, will they have jobs to go to? I know the county has a freeze so I dont see how thats possible. What is the story with that!

[adefonzo]

Realizing that I am going to catch some flack for this, I have to bring up one point that I don't see mentioned anywhere.

Yes, it's bad when people have to lose their jobs, and I suppose it's a good thing that the people in these positions were able to find other jobs within the town to keep them working.

Here is my problem...which is a problem I have with all levels of government. Did these particular positions need to be eliminated, or were they easier to eliminate than going and finding other ways to trim the fat in local government spending?

Public Safety (in my opinion) is without a doubt one of the few essential responsibilities of government. But as with so many other things in New Jersey, I think people have just gotten too accustomed to every town being their own separate entity with their own police, their own fire department, their own school district(s), their own...their own...their own. And then, we complain about how our property taxes are ridiculously high. You can't have it both ways folks.

My own personal feeling is that this entire state has far too many people working for it, the counties, and the local towns. It's just another example of how we have allowed government on all levels to grow to a point where we are dependent on them for far too much, and when they have to make cuts, we all get upset about how it's going to affect our lives.

As I said, I believe that pubilc safety is one of if not the most important real responsibility of government. I do believe, however, that there are other ways the local government could have saved a few bucks without sacrificing jobs in the public safety area. These other savings may very well have cost other people their jobs as well, but if it's going to bring down the size of government, then I'm sorry, but I would support such cuts.

[richardkelsey]

Apr 7, 2010 0:00:36 GMT -5 adefonzo said:

Realizing that I am going to catch some flack for this, I have to bring up one point that I don't see mentioned anywhere.

Yes, it's bad when people have to lose their jobs, and I suppose it's a good thing that the people in these positions were able to find other jobs within the town to keep them working.

Here is my problem...which is a problem I have with all levels of government. Did these particular positions need to be eliminated, or were they easier to eliminate than going and finding other ways to trim the fat in local government spending?

Public Safety (in my opinion) is without a doubt one of the few essential responsibilities of government. But as with so many other things in New Jersey, I think people have just gotten too accustomed to every town being their own separate entity with their own police, their own fire department, their own school district(s), their own...their own...their own. And then, we complain about how our property taxes are ridiculously high. You can't have it both ways folks.

My own personal feeling is that this entire state has far too many people working for it, the counties, and the local towns. It's just another example of how we have allowed government on all levels to grow to a point where we are dependent on them for far too much, and when they have to make cuts, we all get upset about how it's going to affect our lives.

As I said, I believe that pubilc safety is one of if not the most important real responsibility of government. I do believe, however, that there are other ways the local government could have saved a few bucks without sacrificing jobs in the public safety area. These other savings may very well have cost other people their jobs as well, but if it's going to bring down the size of government, then I'm sorry, but I would support such cuts.

I don't disagree with your points -- however -- I will also say that reforming NJ is hard because a matter like this shows you just how tough it is to cut any positions. In addition, it underscores a bigger issue -- that is -- everyone wants something cut, unless it effects them, their town, or their friends. That is the dependency hook that state uses to keep the government big.

I agree that Police, first-responders, and the like are critical, and they should be the last line items in the budgets to be considered for downsizing. Having said that, finding efficiencies without compromising safety is fine too. No government entity or agency should be off-limits for review of efficiency, performance, and need. These little cuts are even harder when people know they are just nibbling at the edges.

[ddigler]

I just wanted to say that I find these cuts to be a horrible decision and one that was made purely for $$$ with no thought of how this will effect public safety, just ask a Freehold Twp. officer how well the county dispatches...its a nightmare. If the town is so broke, then I would say that they wouldnt have the money for the parade,cruise nite or any other extra curriculars.I cant see how you can get rid of all these hard working people and still have a parade.We'll see.........

[BrianSullivan]

Here is an informative link.

sheriffgolden.com/Sections-read-65.html

[Mike Rosseel]

Apr 7, 2010 20:08:58 GMT -5 ddigler said:

I just wanted to say that I find these cuts to be a horrible decision and one that was made purely for $$$ with no thought of how this will effect public safety, just ask a Freehold Twp. officer how well the county dispatches...its a nightmare. If the town is so broke, then I would say that they wouldnt have the money for the parade,cruise nite or any other extra curriculars.I cant see how you can get rid of all these hard working people and still have a parade.We'll see.........

DDigler,

All our parades, concerts and Kruise night are brought to us by the downtown buisness partnership. The boro has nothing to do with that.

The question I have is, couldn't we have scaled back on leave pick up, brush pick up, garbage pick up for a year to save money and see were the state is after a year? Maybe I'm wrong but there has to be cutbacks that could have been done before we get rid of all these dispatchers. I especially feel bad for the Police dispatchers, the fire department people got jobs atleast, nothing for the police dispatch. Also, Im alittle worried about the 911 service as a whole. Im sure they do a great job and no one can deny that but theres so many issues or cost to our town to take this route. Computers, who watches people that were arrested, is a cop being taken off the street to watch a criminal in the holding cell?

Theres alot of information that needs to be answered before us residents can feel comfortable with this move. I certainly am not putting the mayor and council down, maybe it was the only move they could do, just think the public and apparently the police dispatchers were left out in the dark on this one.

[BrianSullivan]

A reader asked me a good question- where do I stand on this issue. I really am not sure. For now, I am enjoying reading all the opinion and commentary that I can find.

On one hand, I completely understand that the fiscal aspect is very difficult. I just wish these types of issues were dealt with in a time when those being affected by lay offs had a better chance of bouncing back. We see so many towns making tough choices. The reality is these choices should not have waited until now.

There is a very humane element to the whole issue. I work for the county and last year we lost 185 people to lay offs. That is not a number. That is 185 people who now have to figure out how to feed and shelter their families.

I also ask the question- are we better off with our own dispatch or the county? I believe that to have our own is a better ideal. The question that remains in my mind is it realistic? I do not have that answer. That is why I have not really taken a side. I am still seeking facts and listening to what others have to say.

[ddigler]

Mike, maybe Im wrong but I do believe the borough of freehold funds that partnership every year to the tune of $300 - $400k, and the town pays the overtime accrued for every one of those events, not the partnership.The town could save that money and keep these people employed.I would rather the town make the fire dept a fire district like every other town, support their budget through taxes and stop this nonsense. It would be a minimal tax increase and not be considered in the budget, thus stopping these layoffs.

[Mike Rosseel]

Apr 8, 2010 19:40:26 GMT -5 ddigler said:

Mike, maybe Im wrong but I do believe the borough of freehold funds that partnership every year to the tune of $300 - $400k, and the town pays the overtime accrued for every one of those events, not the partnership.The town could save that money and keep these people employed.I would rather the town make the fire dept a fire district like every other town, support their budget through taxes and stop this nonsense. It would be a minimal tax increase and not be considered in the budget, thus stopping these layoffs.

If thats true its certainly a good idea

[ddigler]

its true..their budget is proposed and voted on seperately by the residents.

[truthinesshurts]

Apr 8, 2010 19:40:26 GMT -5 ddigler said:

Mike, maybe Im wrong but I do believe the borough of freehold funds that partnership every year to the tune of $300 - $400k, and the town pays the overtime accrued for every one of those events, not the partnership.The town could save that money and keep these people employed.I would rather the town make the fire dept a fire district like every other town, support their budget through taxes and stop this nonsense. It would be a minimal tax increase and not be considered in the budget, thus stopping these layoffs.

You are partially wrong. The FCP general operating budget is funded through an additional special assessment on properties within the SID, not "by the the Borough". The budget is proposed by and voted on by the SID business and property owners, not by the residents of the town. In the past the town has picked up a portion of the OT costs associated with FCP events, but I believe that amount has been significantly reduced in recent years and the partnership has (rightfully) been forced to shoulder their own burden rather being permitted to shunt it off onto the residents of the town.

[BrianSullivan]

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-04-14/Front_Page/Freehold_fire_calls_will_go_to_county.html

Freehold fire calls will go to county

Police dispatch service is also expected to shift to Monmouth County
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
After 138 years, the Freehold Fire Department in Freehold Borough will change the way it receives calls for assistance.
Tough economic times have led municipal officials to disband the dispatch system currently used by the volunteer fire department and to move that service to Monmouth County.

Speaking at the April 6 meeting of the Borough Council during which the town’s 2010 budget was introduced, Freehold Borough Mayor Michael Wilson told the people who packed Borough Hall, including firefighters and people who were supporting the dispatchers, that “the financial outlook for the state can be defined as bleak, at best.”

Freehold Borough’s budget for 2010 totals $14 million.

“Over the past three fiscal periods, we have seen our financial aid diminish by 35 percent (a total of $531,000),” the mayor said. “This year the reduction in state aid totals $321,000, or 21 percent.”

The mayor noted that the borough had to foot the cleanup bill for all of the bad weather this past winter, which totaled $90,000.

“However, instead of bemoaning the depth of the cuts, we simply decided to take charge and make a lean operation even leaner. We have been anticipating the need to make tough decisions over the past few years leading up to this time of fiscal reckoning,” Wilson said.

The mayor said the borough has already changed its refuse collection contractor, which has lowered costs while not sacrificing services, and it has not replaced employees who retired. Wilson said officials have changed the employees’ health insurance provider in an effort to contain a significant rise in premiums.

“We have now even begun the process of transferring our fire dispatch operations to the county, a move that most towns in Monmouth County have already implemented,” he said.

Wilson said the effort has not resulted in layoffs of any full-time employees, and he said the borough’s total budget for 2010 is $73,000 less than it was in 2009.




He said officials have also begun discussions with county administrators to determine if the county can assume Freehold Borough’s police dispatching operation.

The gross cost for dispatch services for fire and police totals $586,000 per year, according to the mayor. He said the start-up cost to implement the police dispatch operation with the county is estimated at $100,000 and the start-up cost for the fire department dispatch with the county will be a minimum of $50,000.

“We will retain one phone call taker at the police department and one special police officer and we will retain one maintenance person at the firehouse from Monday through Friday,” he said.

The net savings the borough will realize from the change in operations is $343,000, according to Wilson. The net savings for the fire department will be $140,000 and the net savings for the police department will be $203,000.

The mayor said part of the start-up costs is the purchase of a fuel/fleet management system at the firehouse and the purchase and installation of a new security system for Borough Hall and the firehouse.

He said it is not certain when the police dispatch responsibilities will be transferred to the county, but he said Freehold Borough is the next town on the list to be included. The mayor explained that there are currently six police dispatchers and he said it is the hope of borough officials that the county will take on some of the dispatchers who will no longer be employed by the police department.

The move to the county dispatch will begin in July, according to Fire Chief Jack Reichman.

Councilman Kevin Kane, who was a member of the fire department for 15 years, said transferring the borough’s fire dispatch system to the county was “really tough” to do.

“The state is forcing towns to rethink the way they do business,” Kane said. “We had to rethink this issue because as of June 30 there will be no more money. The fire department has a tremendous history, a lot of pride and they do a great job. I have the utmost confidence that they will continue to do so. We will work together on a conversion plan … This is a tough economic decision in an unprecedented economy and we have been forced to rethink the way we operate.”

Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer said the decision to end the town’s fire dispatch unit was “based on realism not idealism.”

Council President Jaye Sims said moving the fire department’s dispatch services to the county was something that “really hit home.”

“I wear two hats now,” Sims said. “I have been a firefighter for 17 years and I now sit at this (council) table as well. This was an extremely tough decision for all of us,” he said. “It isn’t personal. It’s about finances. We have had drastic cuts. Where else do you cut? This is a big issue. We have for as long as we did. We did not want to have to cut it. Public safety is always our first concern and we will make residents as comfortable as we can.”

Sims said he previously worked as a fire dispatcher and as a police dispatcher.

“We all went back and forth on this and all of us looked at it very carefully. We just cannot burden the taxpayers any more than we have to. These are the cards we were dealt,” he said.

Councilman George Schnurr said, “When we have a less costly alternative to providing our fire and police dispatchers without compromising public safety, it would seem foolish not to do it. Freehold Township has not had fire dispatch for as long as I can remember and they moved police dispatching (services) to the county last year. These are brutally tough decisions to make. I hope we do not have to make more of the same next year.”

First Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Bailey read a resolution into the record which stated that the fire department was opposed to the elimination of the dispatcher houseman position, and recommended that no changes be made in the existing dispatch and communication procedures.

Reichman said no one will be laid off as a result of the council’s fire dispatch decision. One current fire dispatcher will fill a vacancy in the water and sewer department and a second current fire dispatcher will stay on as a firehouse person Monday through Friday. A third full-time fire dispatcher’s position was already vacant and would not have been filled even if the fire dispatch services remained in-house, he said.

At the present time if a borough resident dials the fire department directly, a Freehold Fire Department dispatcher handles the call and dispatches a response if needed.

If a borough resident dials the police department directly with what turns out to be a fire call, the police dispatcher routes the call to the fire department, which responds.

If a borough resident dials 911 at the present time, the call goes to the county dispatch, which then sends the call to either the Freehold Fire Department or the Freehold Borough Police Department for an appropriate response.

Under the new plan, borough residents will be required to dial 911 for emergency

[BrianSullivan]

Apr 14, 2010 17:23:28 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

newstranscript.gmnews.com/news/2010-04-14/Front_Page/Freehold_fire_calls_will_go_to_county.html

Freehold fire calls will go to county

Police dispatch service is also expected to shift to Monmouth County
BY CLARE MARIE CELANO Staff Writer
After 138 years, the Freehold Fire Department in Freehold Borough will change the way it receives calls for assistance.
Tough economic times have led municipal officials to disband the dispatch system currently used by the volunteer fire department and to move that service to Monmouth County.

Speaking at the April 6 meeting of the Borough Council during which the town’s 2010 budget was introduced, Freehold Borough Mayor Michael Wilson told the people who packed Borough Hall, including firefighters and people who were supporting the dispatchers, that “the financial outlook for the state can be defined as bleak, at best.”

Freehold Borough’s budget for 2010 totals $14 million.

“Over the past three fiscal periods, we have seen our financial aid diminish by 35 percent (a total of $531,000),” the mayor said. “This year the reduction in state aid totals $321,000, or 21 percent.”

The mayor noted that the borough had to foot the cleanup bill for all of the bad weather this past winter, which totaled $90,000.

“However, instead of bemoaning the depth of the cuts, we simply decided to take charge and make a lean operation even leaner. We have been anticipating the need to make tough decisions over the past few years leading up to this time of fiscal reckoning,” Wilson said.

The mayor said the borough has already changed its refuse collection contractor, which has lowered costs while not sacrificing services, and it has not replaced employees who retired. Wilson said officials have changed the employees’ health insurance provider in an effort to contain a significant rise in premiums.

“We have now even begun the process of transferring our fire dispatch operations to the county, a move that most towns in Monmouth County have already implemented,” he said.

Wilson said the effort has not resulted in layoffs of any full-time employees, and he said the borough’s total budget for 2010 is $73,000 less than it was in 2009.




He said officials have also begun discussions with county administrators to determine if the county can assume Freehold Borough’s police dispatching operation.

The gross cost for dispatch services for fire and police totals $586,000 per year, according to the mayor. He said the start-up cost to implement the police dispatch operation with the county is estimated at $100,000 and the start-up cost for the fire department dispatch with the county will be a minimum of $50,000.

“We will retain one phone call taker at the police department and one special police officer and we will retain one maintenance person at the firehouse from Monday through Friday,” he said.

The net savings the borough will realize from the change in operations is $343,000, according to Wilson. The net savings for the fire department will be $140,000 and the net savings for the police department will be $203,000.

The mayor said part of the start-up costs is the purchase of a fuel/fleet management system at the firehouse and the purchase and installation of a new security system for Borough Hall and the firehouse.

He said it is not certain when the police dispatch responsibilities will be transferred to the county, but he said Freehold Borough is the next town on the list to be included. The mayor explained that there are currently six police dispatchers and he said it is the hope of borough officials that the county will take on some of the dispatchers who will no longer be employed by the police department.

The move to the county dispatch will begin in July, according to Fire Chief Jack Reichman.

Councilman Kevin Kane, who was a member of the fire department for 15 years, said transferring the borough’s fire dispatch system to the county was “really tough” to do.

“The state is forcing towns to rethink the way they do business,” Kane said. “We had to rethink this issue because as of June 30 there will be no more money. The fire department has a tremendous history, a lot of pride and they do a great job. I have the utmost confidence that they will continue to do so. We will work together on a conversion plan … This is a tough economic decision in an unprecedented economy and we have been forced to rethink the way we operate.”

Councilwoman Sharon Shutzer said the decision to end the town’s fire dispatch unit was “based on realism not idealism.”

Council President Jaye Sims said moving the fire department’s dispatch services to the county was something that “really hit home.”

“I wear two hats now,” Sims said. “I have been a firefighter for 17 years and I now sit at this (council) table as well. This was an extremely tough decision for all of us,” he said. “It isn’t personal. It’s about finances. We have had drastic cuts. Where else do you cut? This is a big issue. We have for as long as we did. We did not want to have to cut it. Public safety is always our first concern and we will make residents as comfortable as we can.”

Sims said he previously worked as a fire dispatcher and as a police dispatcher.

“We all went back and forth on this and all of us looked at it very carefully. We just cannot burden the taxpayers any more than we have to. These are the cards we were dealt,” he said.

Councilman George Schnurr said, “When we have a less costly alternative to providing our fire and police dispatchers without compromising public safety, it would seem foolish not to do it. Freehold Township has not had fire dispatch for as long as I can remember and they moved police dispatching (services) to the county last year. These are brutally tough decisions to make. I hope we do not have to make more of the same next year.”

First Assistant Fire Chief Ryan Bailey read a resolution into the record which stated that the fire department was opposed to the elimination of the dispatcher houseman position, and recommended that no changes be made in the existing dispatch and communication procedures.

Reichman said no one will be laid off as a result of the council’s fire dispatch decision. One current fire dispatcher will fill a vacancy in the water and sewer department and a second current fire dispatcher will stay on as a firehouse person Monday through Friday. A third full-time fire dispatcher’s position was already vacant and would not have been filled even if the fire dispatch services remained in-house, he said.

At the present time if a borough resident dials the fire department directly, a Freehold Fire Department dispatcher handles the call and dispatches a response if needed.

If a borough resident dials the police department directly with what turns out to be a fire call, the police dispatcher routes the call to the fire department, which responds.

If a borough resident dials 911 at the present time, the call goes to the county dispatch, which then sends the call to either the Freehold Fire Department or the Freehold Borough Police Department for an appropriate response.

Under the new plan, borough residents will be required to dial 911 for emergency

Good article, but it missed Shnurrs comments where he blamed governor Christie. I thought those were classic comments.

[pullen1577]

On April 5, 2010, it was announced publically by Freehold Borough Mayor and Council that they would be eliminating the houseman/dispatch position in the Freehold Fire Department. Since, there has been an outcry by the volunteers of our esteemed organization for a reversal in this decision, or some negotiation on the situation, but both have gone unrecognized. We feel that the rest of the taxpayers and citizens or our great town deserve to hear how exactly these events transpired and what things will be like after the changes are made.
On March 31, 2010, the chiefs of the Freehold Fire Department met with the Borough’s finance committee and administrator for what they believed was a discussion about the purchasing of new equipment. After said topics were handled, the town officials informed our chiefs about the permanent loss of the dispatchers from the Fire Department, and were told to have a plan of action for the transition to Monmouth County Dispatch in place by April 15, 2010, with this change being made effective July 1, 2010. The chief’s were blindsided by the announcement, and the dynamics of our department, as we’ve know them for 138 years, were about to change.
The Borough suffered a loss in state aid for the 2010 fiscal year, and needed to close a $350,000 gap in operating funds. Unfortunately though, town officials state that their last option to close this gap, will be to cut emergency services in Freehold Borough.
Our department President ordered a special department meeting on Monday April 5, 2010 at 6:30 P.M., were the chiefs read a formal resolution they had prepared, stating the history and duties of our housemen/dispatchers, and their solid opposition to the towns decision, and presented it to the department for an approval by the membership. After the resolution was read, and approved unanimously, it was presented to Council during the public comment portion of the monthly Council Meeting by our Chief and 1st. Asst. Chief, and at the conclusion, gave a copy to the Borough Clerk. The mayor and all council people then added their comments on the situation.
There were several different items touched on by the Mayor and his council members during their remarks. There were some-what explanations, numbers tossed around and feelings shared. Unfortunately a lot of us left that meeting not feeling anymore educated on their decision to eliminate the dispatchers than we did before we walked in. They did inform us that the two full time employees currently working at the firehouse would retain employment at other positions in Freehold Borough. They also touched on the some of the costs to have Monmouth County dispatch our fire calls. With that being said, most of us were left wondering where exactly are they saving any money by this change? They’re still paying 2 fulltime salaries and providing benefits to those employees, and will have to pay the county for their services as well. All this while removing a vital part of the operation of the Freehold Fire Department and locking up our building?
Our department if very large in membership and diverse in operation. Currently there are 99 volunteers on the active roster; broken up into 4 different companies all housed under one roof.
There are Standard Operating Guidelines in place that dictate a certain response of apparatus for various types calls. The dispatcher evaluates the nature of the call and will dispatch the proper equipment to handle said incident. The dispatcher also activates our popular “fire whistle” that sounds a certain number of blasts that directly correlate with a box number for all the different locations in town. Once a call is dispatched, they maintain constant radio communications with the firefighters at the scene, make any additional calls for mutual aid or utility contractors as needed, and even smaller tasks like closing the overhead bay doors once the trucks have left the firehouse. Dispatchers also conduct a daily test of our radio and pager system and have been utilized by neighboring fire departments for informational announcements over the radio. On one occasion last year, our fire department dispatchers served as a back up to the Monmouth County Communications Center during a power outage, as our dispatch center has the capability to dispatch several other departments and agencies. Aside from all the “firematic” duties of our dispatchers, there are several other tasks that they handle daily. Emergency water and sewer calls are handled after business hours and on weekends, sending water department personnel out to handle those incidents. They monitor the fire alarm panel, and take calls on sewer station alarms. Dispatchers are responsible for the fueling and the record keeping that accompanies it, of all Borough vehicles: fire, police, streets and road, water and sewer, first aid and Monmouth County Fire Marshall’s office. Care, cleaning and maintenance of our historic firehouse is the done constantly. There are numerous schools and organizations that book tours to the firehouse to see the trucks and learn about fire safety and prevention, hosted by the dispatcher on duty. Geographically speaking, the firehouse sits right in the center of our town. It’s 50 feet from an active bus station, and literally right next door to Borough Hall. It’s located on Main St., a main artery of traffic for the area, connecting Routes 79, 33, 537 and State Highway 9. Having that building manned 24/7/365 adds so many aspects of safety, convenience, and security to Freehold Borough. There have been countless walk-in reports of medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, crimes in progress, and even working fires, all of which were able to be instantly addressed by the dispatcher. Most recently, less than 2 weeks ago, a woman ran into the firehouse with the report of a possible structure fire right on Main St. There are so many town’s people and visitors alike, who have come to the firehouse for perhaps a restroom break, or to ask directions. Some have asked simply to seek refuge from extreme weather conditions while waiting for a bus. Quite often, fan clubs of Bruce Springsteen’s, from literally all over the world will call the firehouse in advance, ask for a tour, and get a glimpse of the fire truck that has “Born to Run” proudly painted on the side, all possible with a dispatcher/houseman on duty at all times. And everything described in this paragraph will change when you wake up on the morning of July 1, 2010.
The building known as “the firehouse,” which houses the Freehold Fire Department at 49 West Main St., and has been manned full time for over 100 years, will be locked up. It’s assumed the Borough will outfit the building with security cameras and a electronic key system of some sort. There will be a fleet management system for vehicle fueling. New radios and pagers will need to be purchased. And all call dispatching and radio transmissions will be turned over to the already busy, Monmouth County Communication Division. The current 1 and 2 truck responses we have in place, depending on the nature of the call, will be no longer. All calls will be a generic dispatch, allowing up to 7 officers, and 6 pieces of apparatus to respond on the radio. This will lead to excess radio traffic, a very dangerous situation, greater traffic risks, and more liabilities every time we are dispatched.
This is all probably going to happen without any further discussion, negotiating, question answering or explanation. Why as volunteers in an emergency service field, does it seem like we’re having things taken away from us? How does a town justify cutting emergency services when they say they need to save money? We were told by a councilman, that (in a pie graph) we were “the biggest piece of the pie” when it comes to expenses of the town, and that justifies where to take money from. Call us crazy, but SHOULDN’T public safety BE at biggest piece of your graph sir? Why wasn’t more notice given to the chiefs of this change? Why didn’t a fire commissioner approach us with what might be coming, and ask for ideas or another solution to the problem? Several members have suggested that we could have written a personnel grant for money for salaries. Why not make the dispatch position a full-time “part-time” position, with part time employees working the shifts, limiting the hours they could work weekly, and not carrying benefits or paid time off, etc. Was there really no other area or department in town you could have looked to save money? Was any consideration taken into the fact that our chief’s have already written and received grants for new air packs and turnout gear that were desperately needed, saving this town thousands of dollars? We have wondered lately would the Mayor and Council rather be facing the salaries of 15 or 20 paid firefighters? Probably not. And who, by the way is going to watch your new cameras in the firehouse? We also would like to know where to direct all telephone calls for press inquires after incidents, directions, information, tour scheduling, or requests to deliver gifts to children on our Santa Run; the desk of the administrator? The mayor?
Since the news has broke about the town’s decision, several facts have surfaced contrary to things previously stated by town officials. The mayor reported originally at the April 5th council meeting that fire dept costs, for elimination of dispatchers and transfer to Monmouth County Communication would be minimum $50,000.00. However, at the April 19th Workshop meeting the Council introduced a bond more to the tune of $237,000.00 for said expenses. A clear sign of no prior investigation as to what it will really take to make this change. Officials have also advertised that the change will take effect July 1. We have been informed, that after similar transitions were made in other towns, it could possibly take 8-9 months from the time the town signs a contract with the county, to go into effect. Currently Freehold has NOT even signed a contract with Monmouth County. Why would they publically announce a date, that dynamically speaking, seems to be most certainly unfeasible?
Make no mistake; the Freehold Fire Department will go on. We will go on as one of the most proudest, and exceptional departments around. We’ll still stand by our response times to fires and maintain our constant relationship and communication with the residents of Freehold Borough. We take an oath as firefighters to protect lives and property, and we most certainly always will for this great town, and any other town that requests our assistance. It just seemed necessary to try and further inform the tax paying citizens of Freehold Borough of some of goings-on with our fire department, the town’s decision making, and how it will affect everybody. We think this towns leaders forget, and sometimes take for granted, that we aren’t paid for the emergency service which we provide, and then easily, although maybe indirectly, seem to try and alter the quality and integrity of the level at which we provide it.
Contributing Writers:
Stephen Pullen - Company Captain
Michael Burtt - Department Ex.-Chief
Reggie Sims – Past Department President

[Mike Rosseel]

Apr 26, 2010 15:55:39 GMT -5 pullen1577 said:

On April 5, 2010, it was announced publically by Freehold Borough Mayor and Council that they would be eliminating the houseman/dispatch position in the Freehold Fire Department. Since, there has been an outcry by the volunteers of our esteemed organization for a reversal in this decision, or some negotiation on the situation, but both have gone unrecognized. We feel that the rest of the taxpayers and citizens or our great town deserve to hear how exactly these events transpired and what things will be like after the changes are made.
On March 31, 2010, the chiefs of the Freehold Fire Department met with the Borough’s finance committee and administrator for what they believed was a discussion about the purchasing of new equipment. After said topics were handled, the town officials informed our chiefs about the permanent loss of the dispatchers from the Fire Department, and were told to have a plan of action for the transition to Monmouth County Dispatch in place by April 15, 2010, with this change being made effective July 1, 2010. The chief’s were blindsided by the announcement, and the dynamics of our department, as we’ve know them for 138 years, were about to change.
The Borough suffered a loss in state aid for the 2010 fiscal year, and needed to close a $350,000 gap in operating funds. Unfortunately though, town officials state that their last option to close this gap, will be to cut emergency services in Freehold Borough.
Our department President ordered a special department meeting on Monday April 5, 2010 at 6:30 P.M., were the chiefs read a formal resolution they had prepared, stating the history and duties of our housemen/dispatchers, and their solid opposition to the towns decision, and presented it to the department for an approval by the membership. After the resolution was read, and approved unanimously, it was presented to Council during the public comment portion of the monthly Council Meeting by our Chief and 1st. Asst. Chief, and at the conclusion, gave a copy to the Borough Clerk. The mayor and all council people then added their comments on the situation.
There were several different items touched on by the Mayor and his council members during their remarks. There were some-what explanations, numbers tossed around and feelings shared. Unfortunately a lot of us left that meeting not feeling anymore educated on their decision to eliminate the dispatchers than we did before we walked in. They did inform us that the two full time employees currently working at the firehouse would retain employment at other positions in Freehold Borough. They also touched on the some of the costs to have Monmouth County dispatch our fire calls. With that being said, most of us were left wondering where exactly are they saving any money by this change? They’re still paying 2 fulltime salaries and providing benefits to those employees, and will have to pay the county for their services as well. All this while removing a vital part of the operation of the Freehold Fire Department and locking up our building?
Our department if very large in membership and diverse in operation. Currently there are 99 volunteers on the active roster; broken up into 4 different companies all housed under one roof.
There are Standard Operating Guidelines in place that dictate a certain response of apparatus for various types calls. The dispatcher evaluates the nature of the call and will dispatch the proper equipment to handle said incident. The dispatcher also activates our popular “fire whistle” that sounds a certain number of blasts that directly correlate with a box number for all the different locations in town. Once a call is dispatched, they maintain constant radio communications with the firefighters at the scene, make any additional calls for mutual aid or utility contractors as needed, and even smaller tasks like closing the overhead bay doors once the trucks have left the firehouse. Dispatchers also conduct a daily test of our radio and pager system and have been utilized by neighboring fire departments for informational announcements over the radio. On one occasion last year, our fire department dispatchers served as a back up to the Monmouth County Communications Center during a power outage, as our dispatch center has the capability to dispatch several other departments and agencies. Aside from all the “firematic” duties of our dispatchers, there are several other tasks that they handle daily. Emergency water and sewer calls are handled after business hours and on weekends, sending water department personnel out to handle those incidents. They monitor the fire alarm panel, and take calls on sewer station alarms. Dispatchers are responsible for the fueling and the record keeping that accompanies it, of all Borough vehicles: fire, police, streets and road, water and sewer, first aid and Monmouth County Fire Marshall’s office. Care, cleaning and maintenance of our historic firehouse is the done constantly. There are numerous schools and organizations that book tours to the firehouse to see the trucks and learn about fire safety and prevention, hosted by the dispatcher on duty. Geographically speaking, the firehouse sits right in the center of our town. It’s 50 feet from an active bus station, and literally right next door to Borough Hall. It’s located on Main St., a main artery of traffic for the area, connecting Routes 79, 33, 537 and State Highway 9. Having that building manned 24/7/365 adds so many aspects of safety, convenience, and security to Freehold Borough. There have been countless walk-in reports of medical emergencies, motor vehicle accidents, crimes in progress, and even working fires, all of which were able to be instantly addressed by the dispatcher. Most recently, less than 2 weeks ago, a woman ran into the firehouse with the report of a possible structure fire right on Main St. There are so many town’s people and visitors alike, who have come to the firehouse for perhaps a restroom break, or to ask directions. Some have asked simply to seek refuge from extreme weather conditions while waiting for a bus. Quite often, fan clubs of Bruce Springsteen’s, from literally all over the world will call the firehouse in advance, ask for a tour, and get a glimpse of the fire truck that has “Born to Run” proudly painted on the side, all possible with a dispatcher/houseman on duty at all times. And everything described in this paragraph will change when you wake up on the morning of July 1, 2010.
The building known as “the firehouse,” which houses the Freehold Fire Department at 49 West Main St., and has been manned full time for over 100 years, will be locked up. It’s assumed the Borough will outfit the building with security cameras and a electronic key system of some sort. There will be a fleet management system for vehicle fueling. New radios and pagers will need to be purchased. And all call dispatching and radio transmissions will be turned over to the already busy, Monmouth County Communication Division. The current 1 and 2 truck responses we have in place, depending on the nature of the call, will be no longer. All calls will be a generic dispatch, allowing up to 7 officers, and 6 pieces of apparatus to respond on the radio. This will lead to excess radio traffic, a very dangerous situation, greater traffic risks, and more liabilities every time we are dispatched.
This is all probably going to happen without any further discussion, negotiating, question answering or explanation. Why as volunteers in an emergency service field, does it seem like we’re having things taken away from us? How does a town justify cutting emergency services when they say they need to save money? We were told by a councilman, that (in a pie graph) we were “the biggest piece of the pie” when it comes to expenses of the town, and that justifies where to take money from. Call us crazy, but SHOULDN’T public safety BE at biggest piece of your graph sir? Why wasn’t more notice given to the chiefs of this change? Why didn’t a fire commissioner approach us with what might be coming, and ask for ideas or another solution to the problem? Several members have suggested that we could have written a personnel grant for money for salaries. Why not make the dispatch position a full-time “part-time” position, with part time employees working the shifts, limiting the hours they could work weekly, and not carrying benefits or paid time off, etc. Was there really no other area or department in town you could have looked to save money? Was any consideration taken into the fact that our chief’s have already written and received grants for new air packs and turnout gear that were desperately needed, saving this town thousands of dollars? We have wondered lately would the Mayor and Council rather be facing the salaries of 15 or 20 paid firefighters? Probably not. And who, by the way is going to watch your new cameras in the firehouse? We also would like to know where to direct all telephone calls for press inquires after incidents, directions, information, tour scheduling, or requests to deliver gifts to children on our Santa Run; the desk of the administrator? The mayor?
Since the news has broke about the town’s decision, several facts have surfaced contrary to things previously stated by town officials. The mayor reported originally at the April 5th council meeting that fire dept costs, for elimination of dispatchers and transfer to Monmouth County Communication would be minimum $50,000.00. However, at the April 19th Workshop meeting the Council introduced a bond more to the tune of $237,000.00 for said expenses. A clear sign of no prior investigation as to what it will really take to make this change. Officials have also advertised that the change will take effect July 1. We have been informed, that after similar transitions were made in other towns, it could possibly take 8-9 months from the time the town signs a contract with the county, to go into effect. Currently Freehold has NOT even signed a contract with Monmouth County. Why would they publically announce a date, that dynamically speaking, seems to be most certainly unfeasible?
Make no mistake; the Freehold Fire Department will go on. We will go on as one of the most proudest, and exceptional departments around. We’ll still stand by our response times to fires and maintain our constant relationship and communication with the residents of Freehold Borough. We take an oath as firefighters to protect lives and property, and we most certainly always will for this great town, and any other town that requests our assistance. It just seemed necessary to try and further inform the tax paying citizens of Freehold Borough of some of goings-on with our fire department, the town’s decision making, and how it will affect everybody. We think this towns leaders forget, and sometimes take for granted, that we aren’t paid for the emergency service which we provide, and then easily, although maybe indirectly, seem to try and alter the quality and integrity of the level at which we provide it.
Contributing Writers:
Stephen Pullen - Company Captain
Michael Burtt - Department Ex.-Chief
Reggie Sims – Past Department President

Stephen Pullen,

To you sir and the rest of the fine men that constructed this letter I say well done. Our Fire Department deserves to be treated with respect and should have been involved in the discussions leading to these decisions. I applaud you all for your loyality, even with the town officals giving you no answers, you stay strong and fight on and hold your duties to the highest levels which you always do. You fire department members, have always been and will continue to be a class act, representing Freehold with honor like you always do!

With that being said, I ask why werent answers given to these men? Why arent they or werent they involved in the early discussions about this? I ask again, couldnt we have put other things on hold for a year to see where the state budget was in a year, ie, eliminate leaf/brush pick up, one day of garbage removal, etc, why cut both the fire and police department short. Could there have been a hold or freeze to the councils salaries or benefits? I think this is a sad move which leaves the fire department as well as residents with a bad taste in there mouth. As a life long Boro resident, I say to you Steve, the residents are with you and want answers too! I respect our officals and think they do a wonderful job, I just think this could have been handled better, maybe with the same results, but handled better!

God Bless our Fire Department!

Michael Rosseel

[BrianSullivan]

Steve,

That is one heck of a write up. It really deserves a thread of its own, but does nicely in continuing this thread. The authors did a good job in getting their case out there. Thank you for sharing, people need to see all sides. The papers aren't always great about doing that. I see you showed some dissatisfaction about the received response at the council meeting. Get in line, many people come out of those meetings feeling the same way. Unless people want to talk about pot holes or something else minor, answers are hard to get in those meetings. I have gone to council meetings, asked questions, got little answers and then seen the answers in the paper the nest day. Gotta love it.

If you can get a copy of the resolution that the fire chiefs read, that would also make for a great post. People should see that too.

Brian

[BrianSullivan]

Stephen Pullen,

To you sir and the rest of the fine men that constructed this letter I say well done. Our Fire Department deserves to be treated with respect and should have been involved in the discussions leading to these decisions. I applaud you all for your loyality, even with the town officals giving you no answers, you stay strong and fight on and hold your duties to the highest levels which you always do. You fire department members, have always been and will continue to be a class act, representing Freehold with honor like you always do!

With that being said, I ask why werent answers given to these men? Why arent they or werent they involved in the early discussions about this? I ask again, couldnt we have put other things on hold for a year to see where the state budget was in a year, ie, eliminate leaf/brush pick up, one day of garbage removal, etc, why cut both the fire and police department short. Could there have been a hold or freeze to the councils salaries or benefits? I think this is a sad move which leaves the fire department as well as residents with a bad taste in there mouth. As a life long Boro resident, I say to you Steve, the residents are with you and want answers too! I respect our officals and think they do a wonderful job, I just think this could have been handled better, maybe with the same results, but handled better!

God Bless our Fire Department!

Michael Rosseel

Mike, nice post!

You mention other services in the borough and cutting them instead. Personally, I would not be surprised if we see those things happen too. This is big picture stuff here. I do not believe the fiscal pain is going to ease for any of us any time soon.

People have to realize just how bad the state and the municipalities are doing right now. The council cites the loss of state aid as being a major factor in all of this. The fact is, Governor Christy is facing an 11 billion dollar hole that he has to plug. That is not considering the 47 billion dollar hole in the public employee pension system that has to be filled.

Taxing people is simply not an option any longer. The voters made that very clear this last school elections. When people complain about the loss of state aid, for schools or municipalities, the question is, what money? It is not there!

Christy's predecessors did tax everything and everything they could in this state. The amount of taxes that Governor's Corzine and McGreevey raised was astounding and we can see it did not work. They taxed the rich, a very stupid and short sighted idea, and it did not work.

We are at a point where we are going to see many changes at the state and local level. Those changes are being forced on all of us due to fiscal constraints.

When it comes to the dispatchers, I do not believe for a second that the governing body made this decision easily. Especially for those councilmen on the fire department, this must have been an awful decision for them to make. All of this ties into something else we see going on.

Recently Councilman Newman introduced the Citizen Budget review committee. Newman has been committed to open government and right now we are seeing that need. These issues have to be more in the open and the public has to have a better understanding of what is going on. I support Newman;s initiatives for that reason.

Lets face it, the fire and police departments were partly blindsided by all of this. They are right to raise a bit of hell and the general public should be aware of everything that is going on. Opening that budget process is one very valuable step.

[Mike Rosseel]

Apr 27, 2010 5:06:50 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

Stephen Pullen,

To you sir and the rest of the fine men that constructed this letter I say well done. Our Fire Department deserves to be treated with respect and should have been involved in the discussions leading to these decisions. I applaud you all for your loyality, even with the town officals giving you no answers, you stay strong and fight on and hold your duties to the highest levels which you always do. You fire department members, have always been and will continue to be a class act, representing Freehold with honor like you always do!

With that being said, I ask why werent answers given to these men? Why arent they or werent they involved in the early discussions about this? I ask again, couldnt we have put other things on hold for a year to see where the state budget was in a year, ie, eliminate leaf/brush pick up, one day of garbage removal, etc, why cut both the fire and police department short. Could there have been a hold or freeze to the councils salaries or benefits? I think this is a sad move which leaves the fire department as well as residents with a bad taste in there mouth. As a life long Boro resident, I say to you Steve, the residents are with you and want answers too! I respect our officals and think they do a wonderful job, I just think this could have been handled better, maybe with the same results, but handled better!

God Bless our Fire Department!

Michael Rosseel

Mike, nice post!

You mention other services in the borough and cutting them instead. Personally, I would not be surprised if we see those things happen too. This is big picture stuff here. I do not believe the fiscal pain is going to ease for any of us any time soon.

People have to realize just how bad the state and the municipalities are doing right now. The council cites the loss of state aid as being a major factor in all of this. The fact is, Governor Christy is facing an 11 billion dollar hole that he has to plug. That is not considering the 47 billion dollar hole in the public employee pension system that has to be filled.

Taxing people is simply not an option any longer. The voters made that very clear this last school elections. When people complain about the loss of state aid, for schools or municipalities, the question is, what money? It is not there!

Christy's predecessors did tax everything and everything they could in this state. The amount of taxes that Governor's Corzine and McGreevey raised was astounding and we can see it did not work. They taxed the rich, a very stupid and short sighted idea, and it did not work.

We are at a point where we are going to see many changes at the state and local level. Those changes are being forced on all of us due to fiscal constraints.

When it comes to the dispatchers, I do not believe for a second that the governing body made this decision easily. Especially for those councilmen on the fire department, this must have been an awful decision for them to make. All of this ties into something else we see going on.

Recently Councilman Newman introduced the Citizen Budget review committee. Newman has been committed to open government and right now we are seeing that need. These issues have to be more in the open and the public has to have a better understanding of what is going on. I support Newman;s initiatives for that reason.

Lets face it, the fire and police departments were partly blindsided by all of this. They are right to raise a bit of hell and the general public should be aware of everything that is going on. Opening that budget process is one very valuable step.

Brian,

I think you make some very true statements here. I do believe more cuts or services lost is on the verizon. I feel our Governor is doing the best he can, knowing what he inherited.

As far as Freehold goes, I like the idea Newman is proposing. I didnt like it at first but after doing some research, it is a nice way to make people aware in how there local budget is going to be used/broken up. I have an issue with Newman here too, Im disappointed because with Newman wanting such open and accessible goverment, I would have thought he of all council members, would have fought to make these men and women more involved with the decisions and whats going on. I, by no means am bashing Newman, I just think he could have taken a stance and showed us he really wants a more open goverment. I feel he could have asked for the fire department to be more hands on in the information gathering and the decision.

There final decision isnt the main issue here, they way they handled our department and didnt give them any heads up is whats most disturbing to me. These fine people are volunteers and deserve all the credit and respect in the world, which normally I feel our officals give them, just not here. They did not handle keeping the department in the loop and thats sad. I understand and respect, the stance the fire department has taken here. I wish them nothing but the best and I think there message is being heard!

[pullen1577]

Hey guys, thank you for your continued support on the matter!...and as requested I'd be more than happy to share a copy of the prepared resolution with you here....

[pullen1577]

oh and by the way, after the resolution was read at he council meeting, the chief's did hand over a copy to the Clerk to be put on file. However, the next morning, day, week, or up until now for that matter, not one council person or Boro official contacted any fire officals with any regards to the resolution. No "nice presentation" but "we're sorry's" or "we'll take a closer look's"....not a peep. classy huh?

[BrianSullivan]

Apr 27, 2010 15:15:24 GMT -5 pullen1577 said:

oh and by the way, after the resolution was read at he council meeting, the chief's did hand over a copy to the Clerk to be put on file. However, the next morning, day, week, or up until now for that matter, not one council person or Boro official contacted any fire officials with any regards to the resolution. No "nice presentation" but "we're sorry's" or "we'll take a closer look's"....not a peep. classy huh?

Wow! That is exactly what I have talked about in previous threads about answers not always being forthcoming and communication not always being what it could be. I would like to see some positive changes from the governing body on that. Some follow through to the resolution would have been good. I was there that night and it was well done and tasteful.

Even if things were a bit more open and the FD and PD did see what what happening a bit more, it may help all people to really understand the decisions. I really have no idea if there are alternatives to saving jobs. Too many questions for me. It all goes back to the budget and what can be done.

[BrianSullivan]

Apr 27, 2010 15:12:03 GMT -5 pullen1577 said:

Hey guys, thank you for your continued support on the matter!...and as requested I'd be more than happy to share a copy of the prepared resolution with you here....

We look very forward to the resolution. For now, here is something else. I understand this is public, went out by way of email blast, and was recieved by borough employees:

Freehold Borough Communications Operations



There has been much discussion in many forums regarding the Borough*s decision to transfer its dispatching operations to the County system. Emotions have understandably run high on all sides of the issue. The decision did not come easily, and came only after extensive investigation into all aspects of the situation * the economic, public safety and human viewpoints.

This will attempt to answer some of the questions floating out there.

Freehold Borough is in the process of transitioning its communications operation to Monmouth County, a cost effective move that ten other jurisdictions have already successfully undertaken. Feedback was received from other jurisdictions that utilize the county system for its dispatching needs. The Tinton Falls Chief has been very satisfied with the County operations. Most recently, our much larger neighbor, Freehold Township transferred its operations to the County 911 system. As with any transition, there were some initial rough spots, however, they have, for the most part been ironed out and the Township officials report that they are pleased with the service provided by the County.

We are confident, based on our research, that response time will not suffer and the safety of the police officers and fire personnel will not be compromised. The sophistication of today*s equipment, some which will have to be purchased by the Borough, will actually provide a more thorough and effective means of communications. For instance, the County*s system will be able to provide information to a fire chief via a Blackberry device, or even a computer aided report containing all vital information just prior to responding to a call. What is truly fortunate for the Borough is that the County*s reporting system is very similar to the reporting system used by the Borough, which should help shorten the learning process.

Although the physical location of the dispatcher will no longer be in the Borough, the process is not very different. Currently, many calls come through the 911 operator. The 911 operator takes down the information and then transfers that information to the Borough dispatcher who dispatches to the police or fire personnel. Under the new system, the 911 operator will do the same and, instead of giving the information to a dispatcher in the Borough headquarters or fire house, will do so to the dispatcher in their same facility. Dispatchers are still fully trained and will be familiar with the towns for which they are dispatching (County dispatchers will dispatch to certain towns).

When the move to the County for police dispatch operation takes place, it is hoped that they would consider the employment of the Borough*s dispatchers. It is unfortunate that the County cannot retain all of the Borough dispatchers and the Borough recognizes the hardship this puts on some individuals and their families. However, the purpose of maximizing cost effectiveness is to take advantage of a joint, regionalized approach with state of the art technology, which reduces the need for additional personnel.



To place this matter into perspective, Freehold Borough*s financial aid dropped $531,000 over the last three years. This represents approximately 35%. In 2010 alone, the aid was reduced by $321,000. Needless to say, these drastic cuts have made all New Jersey Municipalities take a closer look at all of their operations.

The annual dispatch operation cost for the Borough is $586,000. By joining the County*s regional operation, the Borough taxpayers will yield an approximate annual savings of $343,000. The transition will necessitate some one-time start-up costs such as a fuel/fleet management system, building security improvements, and radio communications equipment. These one-time costs, which will be paid over time, are still less than the estimated savings for the first few years of operation with the County. The net savings for the fire and police transition will have a direct and immediate effect of approximately 3.5 cents on the tax rate.

Moreover, it is believed that these improvements will actually provide an additional level of building security and accountability.

The holding cells in the police station, currently monitored by Borough dispatchers by way of a video feed will be monitored by the County personnel in the same fashion. In the event of any emergency, the County personnel will contact Borough police officers in the same way that the Borough dispatchers currently operate.

The safety of our much appreciated volunteer firefighters and our police officers is not and will never be compromised for the sake of saving a few dollars. The change would never be contemplated if the Borough was not fully confident that the move was safe and beneficial to our community. Ten other jurisdictions currently are









effectively serviced through the County system. With the advancement of technology and the continued budgetary constraints, it is likely that many more will follow suit.





Mayor Michael Wilson

Freehold Borough Governing Body

[BrianSullivan]

Apr 27, 2010 6:47:10 GMT -5 Mike Rosseel said:

Apr 27, 2010 5:06:50 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

Stephen Pullen,

To you sir and the rest of the fine men that constructed this letter I say well done. Our Fire Department deserves to be treated with respect and should have been involved in the discussions leading to these decisions. I applaud you all for your loyality, even with the town officals giving you no answers, you stay strong and fight on and hold your duties to the highest levels which you always do. You fire department members, have always been and will continue to be a class act, representing Freehold with honor like you always do!

With that being said, I ask why werent answers given to these men? Why arent they or werent they involved in the early discussions about this? I ask again, couldnt we have put other things on hold for a year to see where the state budget was in a year, ie, eliminate leaf/brush pick up, one day of garbage removal, etc, why cut both the fire and police department short. Could there have been a hold or freeze to the councils salaries or benefits? I think this is a sad move which leaves the fire department as well as residents with a bad taste in there mouth. As a life long Boro resident, I say to you Steve, the residents are with you and want answers too! I respect our officals and think they do a wonderful job, I just think this could have been handled better, maybe with the same results, but handled better!

God Bless our Fire Department!

Michael Rosseel

Mike, nice post!

You mention other services in the borough and cutting them instead. Personally, I would not be surprised if we see those things happen too. This is big picture stuff here. I do not believe the fiscal pain is going to ease for any of us any time soon.

People have to realize just how bad the state and the municipalities are doing right now. The council cites the loss of state aid as being a major factor in all of this. The fact is, Governor Christy is facing an 11 billion dollar hole that he has to plug. That is not considering the 47 billion dollar hole in the public employee pension system that has to be filled.

Taxing people is simply not an option any longer. The voters made that very clear this last school elections. When people complain about the loss of state aid, for schools or municipalities, the question is, what money? It is not there!

Christy's predecessors did tax everything and everything they could in this state. The amount of taxes that Governor's Corzine and McGreevey raised was astounding and we can see it did not work. They taxed the rich, a very stupid and short sighted idea, and it did not work.

We are at a point where we are going to see many changes at the state and local level. Those changes are being forced on all of us due to fiscal constraints.

When it comes to the dispatchers, I do not believe for a second that the governing body made this decision easily. Especially for those councilmen on the fire department, this must have been an awful decision for them to make. All of this ties into something else we see going on.

Recently Councilman Newman introduced the Citizen Budget review committee. Newman has been committed to open government and right now we are seeing that need. These issues have to be more in the open and the public has to have a better understanding of what is going on. I support Newman;s initiatives for that reason.

Lets face it, the fire and police departments were partly blindsided by all of this. They are right to raise a bit of hell and the general public should be aware of everything that is going on. Opening that budget process is one very valuable step.

Brian,

I think you make some very true statements here. I do believe more cuts or services lost is on the verizon. I feel our Governor is doing the best he can, knowing what he inherited.

As far as Freehold goes, I like the idea Newman is proposing. I didnt like it at first but after doing some research, it is a nice way to make people aware in how there local budget is going to be used/broken up. I have an issue with Newman here too, Im disappointed because with Newman wanting such open and accessible goverment, I would have thought he of all council members, would have fought to make these men and women more involved with the decisions and whats going on. I, by no means am bashing Newman, I just think he could have taken a stance and showed us he really wants a more open goverment. I feel he could have asked for the fire department to be more hands on in the information gathering and the decision.

There final decision isnt the main issue here, they way they handled our department and didnt give them any heads up is whats most disturbing to me. These fine people are volunteers and deserve all the credit and respect in the world, which normally I feel our officals give them, just not here. They did not handle keeping the department in the loop and thats sad. I understand and respect, the stance the fire department has taken here. I wish them nothing but the best and I think there message is being heard!

Mike,

The topic of possibly cutting services is a really good one. I will digress from teh main topic here because service cuts really do fit in with the topic of just how hard the decisions must be to make.

My question- if we were to see services cut, does anybody really think that would be an easy decision for the mayor and council?

I think not. The Mayor and the council members who have served for a while have done an outstanding job with the municipal services in this town. It is something they can be rightfully proud of. I know some people will try to argue with me, but, when considering the high services we have here, our taxes are amazingly low for a NJ municipality in Monmouth County.

But, everywhere we look, we see municipal jobs being lost and services cut. So many are making those tough choices, which often are not even choices,.

[Mike Rosseel]

Apr 27, 2010 16:07:32 GMT -5 BrianSullivan said:

Apr 27, 2010 6:47:10 GMT -5 Mike Rosseel said:

Brian,

I think you make some very true statements here. I do believe more cuts or services lost is on the verizon. I feel our Governor is doing the best he can, knowing what he inherited.

As far as Freehold goes, I like the idea Newman is proposing. I didnt like it at first but after doing some research, it is a nice way to make people aware in how there local budget is going to be used/broken up. I have an issue with Newman here too, Im disappointed because with Newman wanting such open and accessible goverment, I would have thought he of all council members, would have fought to make these men and women more involved with the decisions and whats going on. I, by no means am bashing Newman, I just think he could have taken a stance and showed us he really wants a more open goverment. I feel he could have asked for the fire department to be more hands on in the information gathering and the decision.

There final decision isnt the main issue here, they way they handled our department and didnt give them any heads up is whats most disturbing to me. These fine people are volunteers and deserve all the credit and respect in the world, which normally I feel our officals give them, just not here. They did not handle keeping the department in the loop and thats sad. I understand and respect, the stance the fire department has taken here. I wish them nothing but the best and I think there message is being heard!

Mike,

The topic of possibly cutting services is a really good one. I will digress from teh main topic here because service cuts really do fit in with the topic of just how hard the decisions must be to make.

My question- if we were to see services cut, does anybody really think that would be an easy decision for the mayor and council?

I think not. The Mayor and the council members who have served for a while have done an outstanding job with the municipal services in this town. It is something they can be rightfully proud of. I know some people will try to argue with me, but, when considering the high services we have here, our taxes are amazingly low for a NJ municipality in Monmouth County.

But, everywhere we look, we see municipal jobs being lost and services cut. So many are making those tough choices, which often are not even choices,.

Brian,

I think if they suspended brush pick up, leaf pick up, garbage pick up to one day a week for a year to see if things changed and it would have saved these dispatchers, people would have been ok with that.

You see Brian, the image left by handling things the way they were is a greater then thou attitude. I know what Im saying isnt going to make me friends but come on, in small town Freehold, they couldnt have sat the chiefs down and gave them a heads up? They couldnt have responded to the write up by the chiefs, who are we kidding and what kind of message is that sending. Forget republican or dem, think right or wrong, and this was wrong. These guys deserve respect and there was ZERO given. Maybe the cuts had to come, maybe it was the only choice, but humanize yourself and talk to these people, these firemen and dispatchers deserved atleast that much. Its a greater then thou attitude and it will not work in Freehold Boro!

[Mike Rosseel]

to Steve Pullen and the rest of the Department and police dispatchers...


Good Luck and keep strong! you have this town behind you! This wasnt handled right and something needs to be done to correct this!