The Vernon Hills Review has an article which states that:
A new joint dispatching center at the Vernon Hills Police Department will …, the Vernon Hills emergency communications center, will provide dispatching services for Libertyville police and fire… in addition to Vernon Hills police and the Countryside Fire Protection District. Libertyville will no longer operate a police and fire dispatch center at the Libertyville Police Department.
“We’re going to be able to reduce our costs and improve our service at the same time,” said [Libertyville Fire Chief Rich Carani]. “It’s a win-win situation for the residents. It’s eventually going to improve service because we’re going to be able to have better training and better equipment by sharing the cost.”
Libertyville officials have estimated that the village could save as much as $1.5 million over five years by combining dispatching services with Vernon Hills.
Libertyville had seven dispatchers … two were hired by Vernon Hills … at the new communications center, three were reassigned to other positions in the Libertyville Police Department [while] two others were not retained and are leaving the department.
The Countryside Fire Protection District, which provides services to Vernon Hills, Long Grove, Hawthorn Woods, Kildeer, and unincorporated areas of Lake County, consolidated its fire dispatch services with Vernon Hills in September 2010.
Countryside Fire Chief Jeff Steingart said the merger of Countryside’s dispatching services with Vernon Hills two years ago was a “great move” and he thinks the addition of Libertyville will provide even more efficiency and cooperation between departments.
“We were already working very closely with the Libertyville Police Department,” he said. “This is just a great partnership that will aid in response to emergencies by bringing everybody together in an efficient manner.”
In addition to Vernon Hills hiring two emergency dispatchers from Libertyville to handle police calls, Countryside Fire will add two new dispatchers at the Vernon Hills communications center to cover the increased volume of fire calls from Libertyville. Libertyville will pay an annual assessment to cover its portion of the cost of staffing, operations and equipment at the Vernon Hills communications center.
The entire article can be found HERE.
