There’s been a lot of outreach lately from Village Hall to residents regarding Public Safety Committee meetings where 911 dispatch consolidation has been discussed. Three such meetings have occurred since September, in addition to at least two Village Board meetings where the Board of Trustees have also discussed the matter.
Turnout for these meetings has been very low. Perhaps residents are resting from the fast and frequent pace of Zoning Board public hearings that ended only last month. Maybe residents understand and approve the move to consolidate. Or, maybe people didn’t have time to read the 145-page “Public Safety Answering Point” report in the midst of the holidays, and who can blame them?
We’ve read the report, as well as other resources available, and have come up with some frequently asked questions (FAQ’s) we’ve heard from residents. They are:
Why has the Village been exploring 911 consolidation?
This is an initiative that now-retired Police Chief Michael Murphy had been advocating for some time. Last year, he convinced the Village Board to investigate opportunities for improvements for 911 services through an experienced independent third-party consulting group.
What are the reasons for consolidating 911 services?
Barrington Hills is one of the very last municipalities left that has not consolidated. Barrington, South Barrington, East Dundee, Carpentersville, Algonquin and many other communities went with consolidation years and decades ago. Keeping up with changing technology demands and investments becomes a very costly proposition for a single community like ours, and by joining with other communities, those costs are dramatically lowered and shared by all participants.
We also have only one 911 dispatcher on duty at any given time. When that one dispatcher is unavailable, 911 calls bounce to another call center. Given response mandates coming from Springfield, we may have to increase staffing sometime in the future to meet guidelines set forth by the state.
Is this all about lowering costs?
No. Cost is certainly an incentive, but the safety of residents appears to be the primary concern.
How would residents’ safety be improved through consolidation?
Our current 911 dispatch center only handles Village Police calls. Any emergency calls for ambulance or fire response are transferred to other call centers for response after information is taken.
This transfer process can take time and sometimes could cause delays, and according to the Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District, a fire doubles in size every minute.
Further, our dispatchers are not trained to deal with the immediate needs of a caller when it comes to a heart attack or other life threatening situations. They must transfer the caller to another 911 center for immediate assistance until help arrives.
If consolidation occurs, will there be no one left manning the village police station dispatch center?
No. Two shifts will be covered by existing personnel to handle non-emergency and administrative calls, in addition to walk-ins needing assistance.
What is “QuadCom” and why are they being considered?
QuadCom is a 911 call center that has been actively serving many of the surrounding communities, in some cases, for decades. They’ve serviced South Barrington since 1991 for police dispatch, East Dundee for police and fire departments, and Carpentersville for police and fire, among other member communities.
Unlike most 911 centers, QuadCom is a membership only service group. We would have to apply for membership among the other nine members. Once a member, Barrington Hills would have a seat at the board and have a vote in any future technology and staffing matters.
Also, the Executive Director, Beth Heitkamp, actually began her career in 1984 in our own Barrington Hills 911 center under then Chief Lamb’s tenure, and she seems to have an undiminished passion for the people of Barrington Hills.
Are QuadCom’s dispatchers ‘better’ than our current staff?
From the standpoint of dedication to their jobs, the answer would have to be no from what we’ve heard. Beth Heitkamp has repeatedly praised our dispatchers in public meetings, and some may ultimately be employed by QuadCom should the consolidation be approved.
The most noteworthy difference in our minds is that QuadCom’s staffs are mostly, if not all CPR-certified, meaning from the first point of contact they can assist the caller in the event of a heart attack from the time between the call and when trained EMT specialists arrive on the scene. Our current dispatchers are not CPR-certified.
Additionally, QuadCom dispatchers stay on the line with residents until emergency personnel arrive at the scene, instead of passing the call to another 911 center, thus keeping the residents apprised of what is occurring and when.
Some village addresses are hard to find, so how will an outside dispatcher know where to direct responders?
Both Barrington Hills and QuadCom have digital mapping systems at their disposal. In QuadCom’s case, they have multiple systems available which are tied to land line and cell phone locations.
Fortunately in the case of Barrington Hills, we have very experienced police officers who know where exactly they need to go with a simple address, and the same can be said for the fire districts serving Barrington Hills. Nonetheless, any new dispatchers will participate in “drive along” education with police officers for visual training.
Do we need to consolidate now to a new call center?
No, but politicians in Springfield are talking about requiring consolidation at some point. If this occurs, our options might be limited instead of having a choice as we do now.
Certain “legacy” software and hardware at our current dispatch center will need to be upgraded this year, and that expense will require a significant six-figure investment of taxpayer dollars to achieve. If a consolidation decision is made after this investment, it is unknown if this can be recouped through resale.
Are there financial benefits to consolidation?
Yes. As with any consolidation, there are always economies realized by a joining a common group with a shared goal, which in this case is enhanced emergency response to residents.
After the initial membership investment to QuadCom is recouped, the average cost annually for 911 dispatch services to taxpayers will decrease from $168 per capita to under $50. This equates to a projected $6 million savings over 15 years to taxpayers.
Based on our review of all the information that has been presented on the topic, including the recently released recordings of the Public Safety Committee meeting, we believe that 911 consolidation will benefit Village residents in a number of ways, and this move does not come without endorsement and praise from neighboring communities.
Still, there are a few detractors, but their arguments seem more partisan based than substantive. However, most of their concerns seemed to have been allayed at the recent Public Safety Committee meetings.
Our Village Board will take this matter up again during this evening’s regular board meeting. We hope that politics is put aside and that a constructive dialog can occur which will result in improving public safety in Barrington Hills.
– The Observer
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The fire that gutted a Barrington Hills mansion earlier this month illustrates the kind of herculean challenge that suburban fire departments face when battling blazes in neighborhoods that lack the fire hydrants many communities take for granted.
