Here's a follow-up to our previous post about the proposal under consideration by the Des Plaines City Council to transfer fire department dispatching to the RED Center. According to a recent article from JOURNALOnline:
“Our opinion is we’re just as good as them (RED).â€
Des Plaines dispatchers are rallying the community to support their efforts to keep the city’s 911 center local. Rebecca Brink, a long-time dispatcher and union representative, has been distributing flyers highlighting the potential drawbacks of switching to the Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center in Northbrook. She hopes residents will join her at the council meeting on Tuesday, September 3, to voice their concerns and urge the aldermen to reject the proposed move.
The city is looking to save $133,272 per year by moving fire dispatching to RED. Under this plan, police dispatching would remain at the Des Plaines Emergency Communications Center (DPECC), located on the second floor of city hall. The police department is currently exploring other options, such as joining another dispatch center or keeping the DPECC running independently.
One key challenge is that Park Ridge, which shares the DPECC with Des Plaines, would need to move to RED alongside the city for the plan to work. Park Ridge’s city council recently approved the transition, making it a more viable option for Des Plaines. However, Morton Grove and Niles have already pulled out of the DPECC earlier this year.
Brink argues that shifting to RED could cause delays of up to 45 seconds in emergency response times. She claims this is due to the need for both the DPECC and RED to confirm caller information and location before dispatching. Her estimate is based on data from a random sample of calls.
Fire Chief Alan Wax, however, says most towns using RED can transfer calls almost instantly once a fire is identified. He adds that the extra few seconds are offset by RED’s overall efficiency and reliability. “We want to provide the best service possible while also saving money,†he said.
Brink believes the city should instead invest $1.3 million in upgrading the DPECC’s equipment. She claims previous leadership failed to push for these upgrades. While Wax acknowledged that past decisions may have been lacking, he emphasized that those choices were made by the DPECC’s administration and board.
She also stressed the advantage of having police and fire dispatchers working side by side, allowing for quick coordination. But Wax countered that phone communication between agencies under RED is fast enough and that the system has proven its effectiveness in handling large-scale emergencies.
Recently, the DPECC has seen a significant reduction in staff, now operating with just over 25 people, including 17 dispatchers. Both the director and deputy director have left in recent months, adding to the uncertainty surrounding the center’s future. “We’re doing everything we can to ensure the quality of service remains high,†Brink said.
The city council initially discussed the RED switch during last week’s meeting but postponed the vote until September 3 to allow more time for input from Brink and others. She hopes to show the council that the team at the DPECC is capable of delivering the same level of service as RED. “We’ve worked together with Park Ridge since 1992,†she said. “Our opinion is we’re just as good as them (RED).â€
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