The high-tech facility, which was funded through the Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) grant program, is the first of its kind for any municipality in the state of New Jersey.
"Due to our location, the size of our City, and our critical infrastructure, having a state-of-the-art OEM facility is something we have been in great need of," Mayor Healy said. "We now have the technology that will allow us to keep our citizens safe, which has always been my highest priority."
The Emergency Operations Center will have a direct video link to the city's Closed Circuit TV system (CCTV) and will support direct operational links with the mobile command and communication posts, such as the Fire Department water vessel.
In addition to Mayor Healy and members of the Municipal Council, representatives from the New Jersey State Police, the New Jersey Attorney General's Office and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey are scheduled to attend the launch of the city's new EOC.
The new center will be the focal point for multi-agency coordination for incident management, as well as response or recovery operations. The EOC is equipped with ten audio-visual video cubes which provide the visualization of the crisis or incident at hand.
A key feature of the new facility will be the ability for emergency personnel to have access to critical information as soon as it becomes available.
"Providing real time information to key decision makers and emergency personnel is critical in determining the city's response to a major event," said Sgt. Greg Kierce, OEM Coordinator. "Now we have that capability here in Jersey City to respond to all types of emergencies on a local or regional basis in a timely fashion."
Mayor Healy noted that the new facility was paid for entirely through federal grants that are aimed at improving our nation's Homeland Security capabilities.
"I am pleased that Jersey City is on the receiving end of federal aid intended to secure our residents in the post-9-11 world that we live in," Mayor Healy said. "In Jersey City we have the best police and fire department in the State and we have made it our priority to provide them with the tools they need to keep our citizens safe."
