Sussex County Police Explorers Post 234

08/22/2022

10/08/2021

The Hopatcong PBA Local 149 online store closes October 11th (Monday) at midnight.

Shirts, sweatshirts, sweatpants are all available for a limited time.

A portion of the proceeds will go to The SMILE of Hopatcong. Come support a great organization!

https://www.storessimple.com/dezineline/13708

09/22/2021

Only 3 more days until....

The Hopatcong PBA Local 149 Food Truck Festival and Car Show!
Saturday, September 25th from 11AM to 7PM!

A car show, live music, games for all ages, and of course FOOD TRUCKS!!!!

MORE IMPORTANTLY COME SUPPORT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE: Hopatcong Police Hopatcong Fire Department Hopatcong Ambulance Squad Hopatcong Little League Hopatcong Warriors Football and Cheerleading Cops N Rodders of North Jersey Hopatcong Cub Scout Pack 88 Hopatcong Boy Scout Troop 88 Sussex County Police Explorers Post 234 Hopatcong PBA 149 and more!

Just Jersey Fest

09/22/2021

The Hopatcong Police Department and the PBA 149 have three major bands coming this weekend at the Food Truck Fest & Hot Rod Show to help entertain the neighbors, friends, and family at this great family event. If you review the music you will find everything from early rock, country...

09/20/2021

Only 5 more days until....

The Hopatcong PBA Local 149 Food Truck Festival and Car Show!
Saturday, September 25th from 11AM to 7PM!

A car show, live music, games for all ages, and of course FOOD TRUCKS!!!!

MORE IMPORTANTLY COME SUPPORT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE: Hopatcong Police Hopatcong Fire Department Hopatcong Ambulance Squad Hopatcong Little League Hopatcong Warriors Football and Cheerleading Cops N Rodders of North Jersey Hopatcong Cub Scout Pack 88 Hopatcong Boy Scout Troop 88 Hopatcong Cub Scout Pack 194 Hopatcong PBA 149 and more!

Just Jersey Fest

09/16/2021

It's almost here!

The Hopatcong PBA Local 149 Food Truck Festival and Car Show is Saturday, September 25th from 11AM to 7PM!

A car show, live music, games for all ages, and of course FOOD TRUCKS!!!!

MORE IMPORTANTLY COME SUPPORT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS LIKE: Hopatcong Police Hopatcong Fire Department Hopatcong Ambulance Squad Hopatcong Little League Hopatcong Warriors Football and Cheerleading Cops N Rodders of North Jersey Pack 88 Cub Scouts Hopatcong Boy Scout Troop 88 Hopatcong Cub Scout Pack 194 Hopatcong PBA 149 and more!

Just Jersey Fest

09/09/2021

The Hopatcong Borough Police Department takes in an average of 84,000 calls a year. That’s 84,000 incoming phone calls a year handled by our dispatchers. That’s 230 inbound phone calls a day. We would like to talk about one of those dispatchers today.

We would like you to meet Hopatcong Dispatcher 48.

Jessie Goytil began her career in June 2007 as a part-time dispatcher for the Town of Newton. She was hired as a full-time dispatcher for the Borough of Hopatcong in February 2008. While working full-time in Hopatcong, Jessie continued her employment with the Town of Newton until June 2012. In June 2014 Jessie became a part-time dispatcher for the Andover Twp. Police Department.

Besides dispatching, Jessie was an active member of Hampton Twp. Fire & Rescue as a First Responder. She is also a certified Police Matron which allows her to assist the police department in the handling of and transporting of female prisoners. Jessie is certified in a multitude of areas including Incident Command, CPR, CJIS (Criminal Justice Information Services), NCIC (National Crime Information Center), Hazmat Awareness, Su***de Call Taking and Prevention, Active Shooter, and more.

Outside of being a full-time dispatcher for the Borough of Hopatcong and part-time dispatcher for Andover Twp., Jessie is a wife and mother of 2 young children. She volunteers her time coaching sports, being a class mother, assists with community events, being a 4H leader, and many other things.

Jessie is a dedicated individual who personifies what a dispatcher should be. Her motivation to learn and apply has made her a vital asset to this agency. Jessie’s experience and work ethic have made her extremely knowledgeable in the field and is a reason why she was chosen to train some of the dispatchers you hear today throughout the county.

There are many events and incidents that Jessie has helped with throughout her career. One event stands out more than any other.
Jessie was the primary dispatcher during Hurricane Sandy. For countless hours she handled a barrage of phone calls for everything from down trees, wires down, flooded basements and roads, medical emergencies, fires, police incidents, and more. She worked tirelessly coordinating police, fire, EMS, the DPW, JCP&L, The Red Cross, and other agencies to help citizens as soon as possible.

Thank you Jessie for that day, and every day since.

Dispatchers are more than a voice. They are an asset to this community.

09/03/2021

The Hopatcong Borough Police Department is a Public Safety Answering Point, or “PSAP”. This means a well-trained telecommunicator takes your emergency call and is the true first responder to your incident. They gather all pertinent information from your call and dispatch the right resource to help you in your time of need. It seems simple, but in reality, it’s not. The job is very chaotic, especially when a person is frantic on the other end of the line.

Whether you call 911 or our mainline, (973) 398-5000, you are talking to the same person. The dispatcher is the first voice you hear.

They receive all types of calls from “Why is my power out?” to “My kitchen is on fire” to “Can I speak to Animal Control?” to even “Please help! Someone is breaking into my house!” Sometimes the language is inaudible. Sometimes people are screaming. Sometimes there is nothing but static. No matter what, our dispatchers stay calm. They gather as much information from you as possible to provide 1st responders with as much detail as possible to help you quickly.

Did you know when the power goes out, they start compiling lists of fallen trees and pole locations to provide to JCP&L and the DPW. They keep Verizon, JCP&L, and others in the loop of ongoing incidents while taking in emergency calls and general questions from the public.

They aren’t just phone operators though. They are the first person you talk to when you walk into the lobby. Dispatchers are answering your questions while taking incoming calls as well. They are checking on officers during motor vehicle stops while directing an ambulance to your home. Our Dispatchers know the best routes to every house in town. They even know each and every landmark as well. They are securing people in the lobby and the station, who are running away from those who would do them harm. They are there for you.

Hopatcong has 5 Full-Time Dispatchers and 3 Part-time dispatchers that answer calls 24/7. Together they have over 90 years of experience dispatching.

They are your neighbors and your friends. When not dispatching, some are firefighters and EMTs in this very town. Some of the Dispatchers are integral parts of their home communities as well.
More than half of them dispatch for other towns when they aren’t dispatching for this one. They are dedicated to helping.

The Hopatcong Borough Police Department responds to an average of 16,000 incidents a year. Yes, 16,000! The Hopatcong Fire Department is called to an average of 250 incidents a year.
Hopatcong Emergency Services are called to an average of 850 incidents a year. 18,000 incidents on average and that still doesn’t account for the total amount of phone calls coming into the dispatch center daily. At the moment, our dispatchers are taking in 210 phone calls a day. (That’s 105 per dispatcher per shift!) Those calls do not include the number of people walking into the lobby each and every day either.

When you call keep this in mind. When you walk into the lobby, keep in this mind. We are thankful for our dispatchers. We are continually amazed by the service they provide.