Communications

Medford Township operates as a full-service Communication Center and PSAP in a secure area of the Police Department, and acts as a back up for Burlington County Communications. The center has state-of-the-art Enhanced 9-1-1 equipment, including 3 call answering stations and consoles, telephone equipment, voice-activated recorders, printers, and other computer equipment. When a 9-1-1 call is received, the system automatically identifies the telephone number of the calling party and accesses a database for the associated name and address of the caller. After the preliminary inquiry as to the nature of the call, the call taker confirms the origin of and classifies the call. All information received from the caller is typed into the “Computer Aided Dispatch” (CAD) system and routed to the appropriate officer(s). The CAD system verifies the name, address and telephone number of the caller and displays the high/low street number ranges, the nearest cross streets to the caller’s address, as well as pertinent emergency services information. The familiarity and knowledge of the Communications Officers regarding the community and the officers provides a level of service which is unmatched in the region. The Communications Center is staffed 24 hours a day, serves as the first pointof- contact for both telephone and walk-in clients. The Communication Officers are all certified as Emergency Medical Dispatchers and, in numerous cases each year, provide vital life-saving instruction to victims in need of medial attention. In 2007 the Communication Center handled 53,628 traditional land-line and 3,762 9-1-1 Calls.