The Burlington County Commissioners completed upgrades to the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in the Westampton county public safety building after a new video and information wall was successfully installed and programmed.
Burlington County is better equipped to respond to significant storms, floods and other emergencies following the completion of a $1-million upgrade to the county Emergency Operations Center.
County commissioners announced the multi-phase project’s completion this month after a new video and information wall was successfully installed and programmed. The upgrades represent the first significant improvements to the center since it was constructed in the early 2000s.
Housed in the lower level of the county’s public safety building in Westampton, the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) functions as the main coordination point for all significant disasters and emergencies in the county, including extreme weather, natural disasters, large-scale health emergencies and terror attacks.
It has 24 work stations, a communications hub and meeting space for emergency management coordinators and representatives from state; county; local; and federal agencies, plus medical services, utilities and other county departments active during emergencies.
The new information/video wall consists of multiple interactive monitors capable of displaying maps, video conferences, news reports, traffic cameras, dispatch reports, satellite feeds and other data in real time to assist with planning, response and information gathering.
Other improvements to the center include:
- New multi-purpose workstations and all-in-one computers for both operational agencies and support services
- New telecommunications equipment and cameras to support enhanced teleconference meetings, training sessions and information sessions
- A new conference table, conference monitor and smart boards for in-person and virtual meetings
- New video monitors in the Emergency Management Coordinator and Deputy Emergency Management Coordinator offices for news or information displays
- Updates to the EOC computer servers, battery backup, and software so work stations, video screens and telecommunication equipment can continue to operate if other infrastructure fails. The upgrades also allow the EOC information wall and work station monitors to access both Burlington County and New Jersey Department of Transportation highway traffic cameras, as well as Central Communications computer assisted dispatch data.
The improvements were funded with help from a $637,195 federal grant awarded to the county as part of a FY2024 government funding package, championed by U.S. senators Cory Booker and Andy Kim.
The county’s Department of Public Safety is also close to completing its acquisition of a new mobile emergency management command vehicle to assist with on-site disaster response, relief and recovery operations. The vehicle is being purchased and outfitted using federal aid the county received through the American Rescue Plan Act.
