TRENTON, N.J. – An outspoken advocate for upgrading Salem County’s antiquated emergency call center, Assemblywoman Beth Sawyer is celebrating the $2.5 million in the state budget to modernize the 911 system.
“I have been fighting for this funding since I took office in January 2022,” Sawyer (R-Gloucester) said, “I promised Salem County I would get this done. It is a big win for my district that my budget resolution securing funding for the center was adopted, but the first responders and 911 operators of Salem County are the real heroes.”
Last summer, Sawyer led a video team to investigate the conditions at the call center in Woodstown. Stuck on an old frequency because of a lack of funding, the 911 system would shut down when there was bad weather or because of interference from high-powered TV stations as far away as Maryland and Virginia.
“An investment in Salem County’s 911 infrastructure is critical, because every second counts. Public safety can’t wait,” Sawyer added.