By Amy Batista, Special Writer
CRANBURY – The Township Committee parted ways with Hightstown dispatching during its meeting Monday night.
“Actually, I’m very happy that we are leaving after the experience I had with the Hightstown dispatch recently,” said Committeeman Dan Mulligan.
The committee unanimously authorized an ordinance to bond 911 dispatch costs appropriating $120,009, including a $6,000 down payment for capital improvements, and authorizing the issuance of $114,009 bonds or note of the township to finance, according to the ordinance.
“I called there and I was agitated I admit,” said Mr. Mulligan. “I wasn’t in the best mood, but the way they treated me . . . I don’t expect any resident to ever be treated that way,” he said.
Mr. Mulligan said he believes the job of the dispatchers is to calm down the callers and stay on the phone with them.
“They were nasty to me and got off the phone in a hurry,” he said. “I was very disappointed in the way they handled it.”
He said he thought about writing a letter but he was told the dispatchers were being laid off.
Mayor James “Jay” Taylor said that the township had received a complaint about 911 from a resident this year.
“In just trying to research the issue and just validate whether the claim was justified or not was a pain in the neck,” Mayor Taylor said. “We were told that we couldn’t get the recordings for the initial call-in.”
He said when he raised the issue with the Mayor Larry Quattrone of Hightstown, it was a very short conversation.
“It wasn’t a pleasant conversation,” he said. “He was nice enough to begin with, and then afterwards, he said he has researched it and there is no issue.”
The mayor said he, too, is glad to see Cranbury cutting ties with Hightstown dispatch.
“This is on top of dealing with an issue during Hurricane Irene,” said Mr. Taylor. In that emergency situation, 911 services had gone down. When Mr. Taylor asked what the backup was for Cranbury services during the hurricane, he said he was told that Hightstown was too busy with its own issues.
Committeeman David Cook said it is like “every man for themselves.”
Mayor Taylor said there has been times over the years when a call comes in over the scanner that has an unidentifiable location in Cranbury.
“So there is issues about whether at times they knew where Cranbury’s lines were, where South Brunwick’s lines were, or where is East Windsor’s were,” he said.
Resident Richard Kallan question who will be the new 911 dispatcher.
“We are working on that right now,” said Township Administrator Denise Marabello, adding that the bond is part of switching over.
Mr. Cook asked if there would be a gap in emergency services and Ms. Marabello confirmed that there would not be any gap.
Mayor Taylor said a new 911 emergency services dispatch contract would begin Jan. 1, 2016.
