164
THE COUNTY’S INFRASTRUCTURE BACKBONE
PLANNING ISSUE
Technological improvements,
cooperation, and consolidation
have helped the county’s fire,
police, and ambulance
services maintain a high level
of emergency services, but
fiscal constraints and staffing
concerns remain.
What’s New
•
The county established its 911 system in 1996 and
will launch Next Generation911 in 2014, which will
include a comprehensive upgrade to the current
emergency radio system. The current dispatch
system is in need of an upgrade, as well as a lot of
new equipment and software, including nearly all of
the police radios. These components have reached
the end of their useful life, with parts and service no
longer available.
•
The consolidation of local fire companies has become
more common lately, as both willing volunteers and
budgets have gotten tighter. A recent merger of the
Humane Fire Co. with the Norristown Hose Fire Co.,
for example, has dropped the number of stations in
Norristown from five to four.
•
Improvements in technology have changed the way
the county responds to requests for help. For
example, all emergency and police dispatch calls are
now routed through the county’s 911 call center,
located at the county’s Emergency Operations Center
(EOC) in Eagleville, which was expanded and
upgraded in 2007. In addition to the call center, the
EOC houses the emergency operations control room,
and specialized vehicles and equipment needed for
responding to different emergency events. And
emergency response vehicles are equipped with
computer aided dispatch mapping programs that help
pinpoint the home address or cell phone call location
of the request for assistance.
•
Social media resources have changed how the county
communicates information. The county’s
Department of Public Safety posts information to its
Facebook page about local emergencies as well as
emergency preparedness. And ReadyNotifyPA is a
text messaging alert system available to Southeast
Pennsylvania residents looking to receive updates on
emergencies, severe weather situations, and road
closures. More information about this service can be
found at
Sewage Facilities
Water Facilities
Solid Waste
Stormwater Management
Energy
Communications
Schools
Child Day Care
Emergency Services
Other Governmental Facilities
Emergency Services
In Montgomery County, police, fire, and ambulances
provide emergency services.
Police
Police services in Montgomery County occur primarily at
the municipal level. There are more than 1,200 full time
police officers employed by the county’s municipal police
departments. A regional police force, the Upper Perkiomen
Police, covers Pennsburg and East Greenville Boroughs.
Perkiomen, Salford, Skippack, Upper Frederick, Upper
Hanover, Upper Salford and Worcester Townships, as well
as Red Hill, Schwenksville, and Trappe Boroughs are
covered by the Pennsylvania State Police barracks located in
Skippack Township. Additional law enforcement presence
includes a branch field office of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation, the county’s Office of the District Attorney
and its Detectives Bureau, and the county Sheriffs.
Fire
Volunteers partially or completely staff all fire departments
in the county. Some municipalities have full-time or part-
time paid professional firefighters alongside the volunteer
staff, and municipalities may provide some funding through
committed taxes or from operating budgets. Many
municipalities have a fire marshal who is responsible for fire
prevention, as well as the local municipal and volunteer fire
companies. The county’s Department of Public Safety
operates the Montgomery County Fire Academy, which
trains and certifies firefighters from this and other counties.
There are currently 108 stations across the county.
Ambulances
Ambulance services are primarily provided by state-licensed
private nonprofit organizations. Ambulance services are a
part of emergency medical services (EMS), which include
paramedics, emergency medical technicians,
and quick
responders. The county’s EMS system is coordinated by the
Department of Safety within the EMS Division by the
State’s Act 45 of 1985. Many municipalities provide limited
funds for ambulance companies. Ambulance stations
generally have a combination of paid and volunteer staff.
