Posts Tagged CenCom 911 Dispatch

Barrington Countryside FPD news (more)

Excerpts from the ChicagoTribune.com:

In early March, the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District agreed to a contract with Northwest Central Dispatch System (NWCDS).

The agreement, in part, means firefighters with Barrington Countryside will be able to communicate more effectively with other departments that are a part of NWCDS, which serves nearly 500,000 people spanning more than 170 square miles.

Police and fire departments in Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Inverness, Palatine, Rolling Meadows, and Schaumburg are all with NWCDS.

Barrington Countryside FPD Deputy Chief Don Wenschhof said the fire protection district agreed to a per-call fee in the new contract with Northwest Central Dispatch System, making it difficult to compare costs under the district’s former agreement with Round Lake Beach-based CenCom.

The per-call fee amounts to $58.53, while no entry fee was charged under the agreement with Northwest Central Dispatch System.

The cost to work with NWCDS may ultimately be more for the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District but firefighters thought the services offered were worth the expense, he said.

From 2014 to 2016, Barrington Countryside averaged about 1,857 emergency calls a year to CenCom, according to CenCom.

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Barrington Countryside FPD news

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

At the beginning of the month, The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District left CenCom 9-1-1 to join  Northwest Central Dispatch System.

Deputy Fire Chief Donald Wenschhof III said the switch provides stronger, wider-ranging radio coverage throughout the district.

Barrington Countryside serves portions of Barrington Hills, South Barrington, Lake Barrington and Inverness; and portions of unincorporated Cook, Lake and McHenry counties.

The district used CenCom’s services since its split from the Barrington Fire Department in 2014.

thanks Drew

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Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District to join NWCDS

From the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District website:

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District (BCFPD) Board of Trustees, at its December 21st meeting, approved a resolution to negotiate a contract for emergency dispatch services with nationally-accredited Northwest Central Dispatch Services (NWCDS).  The unanimous vote reflects District officials’ ongoing efforts to improve service to residents.

The decision follows an in-depth analysis completed by BCFPD officers that confirmed NWCDS’ operations and its use of the advanced STARCOM radio system.  This will improve communication between firefighter/paramedics and dispatchers, particularly in areas of Barrington Hills, Inverness, South Barrington, Lake Barrington, and unincorporated areas served by the District.

If approved by the NWCDS Board of Directors, NWCDS would begin providing dispatch services to BCFPD in early 2017.  The District’s agreement with its current dispatch provider, Round Lake Beach-based CenCom E9-1-1, requires a 12-month notice before the existing contract can be cancelled.

Established in 1972, NWCDS is a regional dispatch center based in Arlington Heights that serves 12 area communities and public service departments – including several that have automatic aid agreements with the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District.  It was the first dispatch center in Illinois to earn accreditation as an EMD Dispatch Center of Excellence by the National Academies of Emergency Dispatch.

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Group to research consolidation of 911 dispatching Lake County

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

As Wauconda officials wrestle with a plan to shutter a local 911 dispatch center and join a regional service group, a new Lake County task force has formed to examine the issue on a broader scale.

Lake County Board Chairman Aaron Lawlor is among the task force members. He supports consolidating 911 centers. “It has been done successfully elsewhere, and I’m confident we can do it here.”

The group created by the county board in August includes Countryside Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Steingart, former Mundelein Fire Chief Tim Sashko, Vernon Hills Police Chief Mark Fleischhauer, Round Lake Beach Mayor Rich Hill and Lake Zurich dispatcher Leah Kelly.

In Lake County, no 911 center has been in the news as much as Wauconda’s. Officials and residents have squabbled over its future for more than a year. Under the current plan, a regional organization called CenCom would handle 911 calls for Wauconda police and the Wauconda Fire District. Trustees could vote on a consolidation deal Oct. 6.

The other agencies served by Wauconda’s dispatchers, the Tower Lakes and Lakemoor police departments, would need to find new service providers if the center closes.

Since Wauconda’s 911 battle began, state lawmakers have approved legislation that calls for dispatch centers to consolidate significantly in the future.

Lake County’s Lawlor said 911 consolidation has been a top issue since a 2014 local leadership summit. “This presents tremendous opportunities to improve quality (and) efficiency and provide cost savings.”

thanks Dan

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Wauconda looks into outsourcing 9-1-1 call center (more)

Excerpts from the OakLawnLeaf.com:

A Lake County municipality is “rethinking” an idea to move forward with controversial plans to close the village’s 911 emergency communications center and to outsource the services to a county group in light of opposition from community members and the problems experienced in other outsourcing such as the Village of Oak Lawn’s decision to privatize the services.

Village of Wauconda Trustees voted last Tuesday to table the move to the county group known as CenCom stating that there were too many questions and that it was too soon to vote. Mayor Frank Bart, who was elected two years ago, has pledged to close the 911 center and outsource the services to CenCom, which dispatches for 11 police and fire departments in Lake County. Bart has claimed that the move would save the village $300,000 a year.

However, opponents have pointed to the Village of Oak Lawn’s decision to outsource the services previously provided by union dispatchers in favor of a private company. “That decision was a disaster and I would be lying if I said we weren’t aware of those problems,” said a high ranking Wauconda village official who asked not to be identified.

Oak Lawn’s Village Manager Larry Deetjen had argued that his village would save money without affecting public safety when he recommended the privatization in Oak Lawn. Since that time, the village has had four directors of the center and been victimized by complaints from firemen, police officers and the public because of mistakes.

Wauconda’s administrator is admitting that the dispatchers would lose their jobs but said they would receive preferential consideration for the new jobs. A similar promise by Deetjen resulted in only a handful of the dispatchers being hired by the private company. Of those hired, half resigned shortly thereafter in light of the way the operations were handled. One dispatcher wrote a letter to the board detailing problems and to Mayor Sandra Bury [who] dismissed the letter as anonymous but also dismissed the complaints after the dispatcher came forward. The village never investigated any of the claims, including the statement that dispatchers were told to destroy complaints that were being made by police officers and firefighters.

Several glaring mistakes have resulted in headlines that have been reportedly noticed even in Wauconda. Hundreds of complaints have been made by public safety officers regarding dispatchers failing to send the right information to the police officers and firemen.

 

911 records reviewed by the Oak Lawn Leaf, after a legal tug of war that included the Attorney General of Illinois ruling that a 911 video should be released, showed a 6 to 7 minute delay in sending any ambulances to the fatal car accident killing two Roman Catholic Nuns at 95th and Cicero.

To make matters worse, the promised savings in Oak Lawn have not added up as promised with the union representing the dispatchers suing the village and later accepting a cash settlement. When Oak Lawn trustees voted 4-2 to privatize the services, the board ignored the threat of legal action and pleas from several 911 emergency operators and the wife of a police officer.

Oak Lawn Trustee Robert Streit, who along with former Trustee Carol Quinlan were the only votes against the privatization, noted that the village residents depend on professional service from its firemen and police officers. He said the 9-1-1 operators were the people behind the scenes that make sure the ambulance that residents call gets to the right address in a timely manner and assures police officers that a back up squad is on its way during a robbery.

He said that he is happy to hear that the Wauconda trustees are taking a hard look at the issue rather than blindly following the village manager’s suggestion. He said that he wishes Oak Lawn was not seen as an example of a bad decision but perhaps the mistake can be avoided elsewhere.

thanks Dan

More on this HERE

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Wauconda looks into outsourcing 9-1-1 call center (more)

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

Wauconda trustees on Tuesday delayed moving forward with controversial plans to shutter the town’s 911 center and outsource dispatching. Too many questions about the proposal to join CenCom need answers, Trustee Tim Howe said, and that means that it’s too soon to vote.

Mayor Frank Bart has championed closing the 911 center since he was elected two years ago.

CenCom has become the focus of the village’s outsourcing talk.

thanks Ron

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Wauconda looks into outsourcing 9-1-1 call center (more)

Excerpts from the DailyHerald.com:

A controversial plan to outsource Wauconda’s police dispatch service could move closer to a resolution Tuesday.

Village Administrator Doug Maxeiner will ask trustees to commit to a plan to join CenCom, a 911 call center based in Round Lake Beach that already serves 11 police and fire departments throughout Lake County. If the deal is approved, Wauconda’s high-tech 911 center, which is at the police station, would be mothballed. Eleven employees would be laid off. Wauconda’s dispatchers would get preferential consideration if CenCom expands its staff.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Trustee Ken Arnswald, who formerly opposed outsourcing but has swung the other way. “I don’t want anyone to be out of a job.”

Many Wauconda residents have spent much of the last year protesting outsourcing plans. In recent months, however, outsourcing supporters have begun appearing at meetings and speaking their minds in greater numbers.

Going with CenCom could save Wauconda up to $300,000 annually, Maxeiner said in June. The village’s spending is outpacing revenue, and he’s voiced concern about future budget deficits.

The consolidation debate ramped up more than a year ago. At first, officials primarily talked about outsourcing the service to Lake Zurich. Maxeiner recently changed focus to CenCom because that group could better serve calls for the Wauconda Fire Protection District, which also uses Wauconda’s center.  The Tower Lakes and Lakemoor police departments pay Wauconda to handle their 911 calls, too, and also would be affected if the center shuts down.

The shift was made concrete in June when the board voted to petition CenCom for membership and to negotiate an agreement for admission.

“The time to consolidate is now,” Wauconda Mayor Bart said. “We keep this quality public safety service, we save over $300,000 of taxpayer dollars annually, and it gives our displaced employees the preferential opportunity to be hired by CenCom.”

The board’s decision is influenced by political machinations in Springfield, officials said. Gov. Bruce Rauner’s threatened cuts to local shares of tax revenue has Wauconda officials worried about balancing future budgets. Additionally, state lawmakers have approved legislation that calls for dispatch centers to consolidate significantly in the future.

With those factors in mind, Wauconda’s trustees shifted from generally opposing outsourcing to favoring a deal with CenCom.

thanks Ron

Previous posts are HERE and HERE.

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Antioch FD moving to CenCom

Ron Wolkoff provided the following information:

The Antioch Fire Department is switching to CenCom (Round Lake Dispatch) for their dispatching.

The Daily Herald has an article which states that:

The Antioch 9-1-1 dispatch center will shut its doors in 21 days, eliminating the jobs of 12 employees and forcing other agencies to find new emergency dispatch services.

Antioch’s center provides emergency dispatch services for Antioch Fire Protection District and Lindenhurst Police.

Antioch (police) will join CenCom E911 Public Safety Communication Center in Round Lake Beach. CenCom currently dispatches for Round Lake, Round Lake Beach, Hainesville, Lake County and many others.

The Antioch Fire Protection District will also join CenCom, fire chief John Nixon said.

The entire article an be found HERE.

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