Excerpts from a Daily Herald article about the Des Plaines move to Wheeling for 911 police dispatch:
All 911 calls in Des Plaines are now being answered at a dispatch center in Wheeling — a recent switch that both towns’ leaders lauded Monday as mutually beneficial.
Des Plaines’ city council approved a five-year contract last June to outsource its police dispatch services to Wheeling as Des Plaines prepared to close its aging dispatch center. The switch-over took place Jan. 11 without any problems, officials said.
Des Plaines officials have estimated the city will save $4.1 million over the course of the agreement. Major upgrades would have been necessary to modernize the old dispatch center, located on the second floor of city hall. Some of the problems include outdated equipment and computer systems. The city handled its own dispatch calls and those from other municipalities for some 20 years until officials decided to decommission the center.
Wheeling, meanwhile, was looking to take on a customer after completing renovations to its police department headquarters in 2011, said Police Chief Bill Benson.
Des Plaines will pay Wheeling $12.1 million over the course of the agreement in operational and capital costs.
Eleven of the 13 dispatchers who remained when Des Plaines’ center shut down have been hired by Wheeling. However, last summer as many as 22 employees worked in Des Plaines.
Des Plaines plans to expand its police records bureau within the dispatch center space in city hall, though the equipment in the center is still functional, and will be used as a “cold” backup center. That means it would be third in line to take 911 calls, after utilizing a “hot” backup center at the West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center in River Forest, according to Police Chief Bill Kushner.
Des Plaines fire emergency calls have been handled by the Regional Emergency Dispatch Center in Northbrook since last September. The council approved an agreement with the center, a consortium that dispatches for 16 fire departments, a year earlier.
All 911 calls in Des Plaines go to the Wheeling dispatch center, and fire-related calls are immediately directed to the RED Center.
thanks Dan
#1 by Drew Smith on February 6, 2015 - 8:56 PM
The Fire South transmitters simulcasts on two frequencies:
Fire South Dispatch (East) 40 watts max 155.7975
Fire South Dispatch (West) 40 watts max 155.4375
Companies transmit in on 153.8675 for both east and west
OPS south (backup) is non-repeatered 154.3550
The Fire North transmitters simulcasts on two frequencies:
Fire North Dispatch (East) 159.6600
Fire North Dispatch (West) 153.2150
Companies transmit in on 156.1350 for both east and west
OPS north (backup) is non-repeatered 154.445 (original RED freq.)
#2 by Tom on February 6, 2015 - 9:01 PM
Thank you Drew!!!
#3 by Tom on February 6, 2015 - 5:54 PM
Thanks Mark,
Does anyone know the frequency for Red Center South?
#4 by Markus on February 5, 2015 - 7:30 AM
Tom,
Red center split into two channels Red North and Red South. Red North is the 159.6600 Not sure what Red South is. Yes Morton Grove, Niles, North Maine, Des Plaines, Park Ridge, and Lincolnwood are all on Red South
#5 by Tom on February 5, 2015 - 4:57 AM
What frequency is Des Plaines toned out on? Is it 159.6600? And does Red Center still dispatch for Morton Grove, Niles and North Maine? Have not heard these departments toned out recently on 159.6600.