Recently, I came across some interesting insights on RBLandmark.com regarding the efforts of several small towns in Illinois to streamline their emergency response systems. The Illinois General Assembly has mandated that municipalities with populations under 25,000 must consolidate their emergency dispatch centers by mid-2017. This directive has sent communities like Brookfield, North Riverside, and Riverside into a flurry of activity as they explore options for either joining existing dispatch hubs or forming their own.
These three villages have banded together to establish a joint dispatch center, provisionally named WC3. It will be housed within the North Riverside Police Department and overseen by a governing board that will appoint an executive director. To kickstart this initiative, representatives from these towns—such as village managers, police and fire chiefs, and dispatch supervisors—have been collaborating weekly with Paul Harlow, a consultant from GovHR USA based in Northbrook. They recently signed a contract worth $25,000 to facilitate the transition.
Last summer, the General Assembly passed a bill enforcing this consolidation requirement. While the idea sounds straightforward, the implementation involves numerous challenges. For instance, Brookfield doesn't share the same dispatch radio frequency as Riverside and North Riverside, and it also belongs to a different mutual aid division for fire services. Additionally, North Riverside and Brookfield use a different records management system compared to Riverside. All dispatchers will require training to handle Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD), which mandates having an extra dispatcher available round-the-clock—a requirement that hasn’t been met yet by any of the three towns.
The current full-time dispatchers will likely retain their jobs, but the future of part-time staff remains uncertain. Ultimately, these employees will transition from working directly for their respective municipalities to becoming part of the WC3 team. A new collective bargaining unit will also be formed since they currently belong to three distinct unions.
Another significant change will involve eliminating 24/7 manned front desks at Brookfield and Riverside police stations. During late-night hours, North Riverside's dispatch personnel will be available to address walk-ins, but both Brookfield and Riverside will need to install video or phone systems allowing visitors to connect remotely with North Riverside dispatchers.
In June, these towns will formalize their collaboration through an intergovernmental agreement to establish the WC3 board. This board will consist of members who’ve been actively engaging with the consultant. Despite the hurdles, these communities are hopeful that pooling resources will enhance efficiency and improve emergency response times while reducing costs.
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