Midland Park December 17, 2014 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • Page 3 Interim pact would avoid break in dispatch service Midland Park is making arrangements with Wyckoff for continued dispatch services should delays occur in connecting to the Bergen County Public Safety Oper- ating Center in Mahwah. Both communities, now ser- viced by Wyckoff Dispatch, are expected to switch to the county system on Jan. 2 or later. The Midland Park Borough Council last week agreed in principle to a Wyckoff proposal to provide the service if it should be needed. Both communities are expected to be connected at the same time, but the proposed agree- ment states that it “shall be in effect until the Township of Wyckoff is connected with Bergen County Commu- nications Center.” Wyckoff’s proposal calls for a daily charge of $1,500, effective Jan. 1. In the event that a dispatcher or police officer is required on overtime to fully staff one of the two dispatch positions required, Midland Park would pay the overtime cost of that employee in addition to the daily charge, the proposed agreement states. Wyckoff has been providing emergency dispatch services to Mid- land Park since 1998 under an interlocal services agree- ment which Midland Park terminated in July effective Dec. 31, 2014. Midland Park Borough Administrator Addie Hanna told the council she wants language added to the Wyckoff agreement “which expresses a temporary situation and protects the borough in case the extended service should not be needed.” The council agreed that this provision should be included. Wyckoff Township Administrator Robert Shannon said the township has yet to receive from Bergen County the actual contract on the dispatch service. He said given the anticipated change in county executive as a result of last month’s election, the freeholder board wants the new executive to review the contract before approving it. The Township of Wyckoff remains resolute that the required work and technology upgrades we have been diligently working on as our top priority are completed before 1/2/15, which is why the Township of Wyckoff’s temporary agreement sent to Midland Park stated ‘until Wyckoff is connected,’” Shannon said. Former Police Chief John Casson, speaking from the audience at the mayor and council meeting, asked if the borough would have the needed equipment to interface with the county communications center. Mayor Patrick “Bud” O’Hagan said equipment had been ordered and is expected to arrive in a timely manner. If not, he said, the county had guaranteed that loaner equipment would be available in the interim. Casson asked if the new service would be equal to the service now provided by Wyckoff. “It will exceed that service,” said Councilman Mark Braunius. Casson also asked who the borough would deal with if and when the county police, which now runs the dispatch center, merges with the sheriff’s department. O’Hagan said there should be no problem since the cap- tain in charge now would remain in that position in case of a merger, which may be several years off into the future.