Jersey City recently unveiled a $20 million state-of-the-art public safety communications center that will undoubtedly benefit the city’s 240,000 residents. A city media release described the facility as the “first major communications center on the east coast that was constructed using ‘green’ building standards.”
Some 243,000 homes in Jersey City were spared the environmental impact of this project as construction not only utilized recyclable materials, but also planted a roof to slow runoff that clogs sewers. The Public Safety Communications Center (PSCC) houses $5 million worth of communications dispatch technology.
“This new facility takes our ability to respond quickly and efficiently to emergencies out of the dark ages,” Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy said through the release. “And while our ability to respond quickly and smartly has increased immeasurably, we have done it in a building that was constructed with the environment and future generations in mind.”
The PSCC cost approximately $15 million to build and has been designated to receive LEED Silver certification, which means it satisfies environment standards for using energy efficiently and for reducing its “negative impact or profile on the environment overall.”
In addition to hosting the dispatch centers for both police and fire, the PSCC will also be a hub for divisions such as the Telephone Reporting Unit (TRU), Criminal Justice Information Systems Unit (CJIS) for the Jersey City Police Department, and a training center for 911 call takers and dispatchers.
According to the release, a highlight of the new building is the “Communication Room, which allows call takers, dispatchers and supervisory personnel to virtually respond to any emergency or situation as they strategically interface with one another.”
Many homes in Jersey City already utilize intelligent technology and are connected to the Jersey City Fire Department. Liberty Harbor North residences, for example, feature Smart Home technology that allows tenants to remotely monitor their homes and security systems.
The PSCC only stands to enhance the quality of living for owners and renters of homes in Jersey City.
“When you consider the smart engineering of the complex, it will cost so much less to heat in the winters or even less to cool in the dog days of summer,” Police Director Sam Jefferson said through the release. “And a cost effective comfort zone for the workers who will be there performing sensitive and highly stressful duties only makes sense.”
