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This file photo shows the Salem County 911 Center in December after renovations to the facility. Five public safety telecommunicators working during tuesday night's storm received a shock from the equipment when lightning struck the center, officials said.

(Time File Photo)

MANNINGTON TWP. -- At the height of Tuesday's storm, five public safety telecommunicators at the Salem County Department of Emergency Services command center were shocked when lightning struck the facility.

The PSTs answer 911 calls and dispatch fire and rescue personnel throughout the county.

Those injured were using the new communications system recently installed at the center on Cemetery Road in Mannington Township.

Salem County Undersheriff John Cuzzupe, who oversees the 911 center operations, said the three male and two female PSTs were each shocked while on a phone handling an emergency call.

They experienced a tingling sensations, confusion, headaches and other reactions from the shocks, Cuzzupe said.

The PSTs apparently shocked during three different lightning strikes, Cuzzupe said. Two reported being shocked at one strike, then one at another strike and then the other two during a third strike.

Tuesday's violent storm packed high winds, heavy rain and vivid and frequent lightning.

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According to Cuzzupe, after being shocked, the five PSTs continued to answer phone calls which were flooding the center because of the storm.

"That's a great credit to their service," Cuzzupe said. "They wanted to continue to work."

"Their No. 1 concern was to help the people of Salem County."

There were a tremendous number of storm-related calls, according to Cuzzupe. From the time the storm hit around 5:40 p.m. Tuesday through 8 p.m., 248 calls came into the 911 center.

Cuzzupe said the PSTs actually had to be told to leave their work stations to be taken to The Memorial Hospital of Salem County to be evaluated.They were then released and allowed to go home.

Other staff was called in to take their place, Cuzzupe said.

The five PSTs were expected to be back at work after another checkup today to ensure they are cleared for duty, he said.

The equipment the PSTs were working on is part of a new up-to-date system just recently installed at the 911 center. Cuzzupe said an investigation is underway to determined why the PSTs were shocked and what can be done to prevent any future such incidents.

Officials say the command post on Cemetery Road in Mannington was struck several times by lightning during the height of the storm.

Power was knocked out the and the center was still relying on backup generators Wednesday morning for power.

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Power outages were widespread throughout the county.

"Most of the damage was trees and downed wires," said Jeff Pompper, director of Salem County Emergency Services. "There were no reports of any major structural damage."

But the storm did interrupt cellular phone service, especially for Verizon customers.

Pompper said that "multiple" Verizon cell towers were down in the county.

"That's concerning to us since a lot of people have given up their land lines (and rely on cellular service)," Pompper said.

Pompper said Tuesday's line of storm damage was "a very similar path" as the derecho which struck the county in late June 2012.

"It was not nearly as extensive, but a little more widespread," Pompper said. The damage track began along the Delaware riverfront communities and continued eastward through Mannington, Pilesgrove, Alloway and Pittsgrove.

"I think we were very fortunate compared to our partners in Gloucester County," he said noting the extensive damage there.

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Two dozen trees fell on Salem County roads during the storm, according to Salem County Director of Public Works Jeff Ridgway

"No one area seemed to be left out," Ridgway said.

Tuesday morning Alloway-Aldine in Alloway Township and Olivet and Alvine roads in Pittsgrove Township were still closed as crews worked to clear downed electric lines.

Overall, despite the number of trees down, Ridgway said the county was lucky considering the strength of the storm.

Bill Gallo Jr. may be reached at bgallo@njadvancemedia.com. Follow South Jersey Times on Twitter @TheSJTimes. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.