Central Dispatch a Tiny Step Closer

CREST HAVEN — Central dispatch in Cape May County took a baby step closer to reality. It will take place as part of a relocation of the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) to the county airport.
As the final item of freeholders’ Aug. 11 caucus session, Director Gerald Thornton informed colleagues that the director of Facilities and Services will “go on the architects list” seeking requests for proposals for the relocation of the Office of Emergency Management to the Lower Township Public Safety Building at Cape May County Airport, Erma.
The office is presently located in the basement of the main branch of the County Library, 30 W. Mechanic St., Court House.
During the last Lower Township municipal election, that building, a cavernous, 48,000-square-foot, structure that houses the police department and rescue squad, became a central topic.
Mayor Michael Beck advocated relocating the police department to a new building close to township hall at an estimated cost from $3.5 million to $3.8 million. The Republican majority on Township Council voted 3-2 to retain the present airport facility.
In an April release county officials unveiled a plan to renovate the Public Safety Building to include a state-of-the-art headquarters for county Office of Emergency Management, centralized county 911-dispatch center and a police station for Lower Township.
The shared service between the county and township would also bring Cape May County in line with the rest of the state, the release stated. Presently, this county is the only one in the state without a shared service agreement for a joint dispatch service.
After two months of meeting with Lower Township Manager James Ridgway and county administration, Martin Pagliughi, county emergency management director, and Ann Marie McMahon, county director of facilities and services, presented the conceptual plan to Lower Township Council April 6.
Pagliughi said his office’s present location is not ideal and they are looking to relocate. Lower Township’s Public Safety Business was first choice.
Pagliughi proposed a plan that would completely renovate the Public Safety Building with space for Lower Township Police, Lower Township and County Office of Emergency Management, Lower Township Office of Fire Safety and Lower Township Rescue Squad EMS. 
McMahon, county director of facilities and services, explained how she would renovate the building with repairs to the roof, upgrades to the infrastructure and maximize the space that each department would use.
Beck said that while he was in favor of shared services and a centralized county dispatch, he disagreed with having the township’s police station at the county airport.
The council passed a motion to send the county a letter of intent, which allowed the county and the township to negotiate.