$250,000 facility new 911 system and a backup emergency management center

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The township unveiled a new 911 system and a backup emergency management center Wednesday.

Here are five important things to know about the changes:

1. No other city in the U.S. has a 911 system like this. The upgrade includes a software app developed by Bernards-based Avaya, which is debuting the system in Lakewood. The system allows callers to share their exact location with dispatchers with the push of a button. With existing 911 systems, dispatchers often can't pinpoint where mobile emergency calls are coming from. The location comes from a query made to the cellular carrier, and is often inaccurate, Avaya's Mark J. Fletcher explained.




2. 911 callers can transmit photos and video. Once the system goes live later this summer, mobile phone users will be able to send pictures and videos with their voice calls to 911. Dispatchers can also send important information, such as a video or instruction sheet explaining how to administer CPR or help someone who's choking using the Heimlich maneuver. For now, only Android phones can send video to 911. Apple phones will support video in the future when they add support for WebRTC, which allows for browser-based, real-time communication, Fletcher said.


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3. The system is practically free for Lakewood. Avaya is providing the software free of charge so it can demonstrate the system's benefits to prospective customers. All the township has to do is buy some virtual servers to handle the data. Fletcher couldn't comment on how much that will cost, but he said the expense is minimal.

4. The backup OEM center came in response to superstorm Sandy. The 2012 storm knocked the police department's communication system out of commission. If that ever happens again, dispatchers will be able to relocate to the new center, located only a couple of miles away on Pine Street near the industrial park. Another cool feature: The center is equipped to receive live video streams from first-responders in the field.

5. The new center is meant to be shared. The $250,000 facility is named for Township Committeeman Michael J. D'Elia, who has been a volunteer fire chief, fire commissioner, first-aid volunteer and OEM coordinator over the course of some 50 years of public service. The center is designed to accommodate the township's many volunteer first-responder groups, allowing for greater coordination during an emergency, officials say.