2017 Dispatch Center Consolidation

Re-Sent:  May 5, 2017
Sent: January 12, 2017

This is a reminder email that dispatch services in Kenilworth will be consolidated in order to comply with State law.  Kenilworth is on pace for this transition to take place in early June. 


State Law Mandating Consolidation of Dispatch Centers in 2017

Last year the Governor signed a law which amends the Emergency Telephone Safety Act and the Wireless Emergency Telephone Safety Act.  The law mandated that by July 1, 2017, any 911 dispatch center serving a population of less than 25,000 shall be consolidated such that no 911 dispatch center in the county serves a population of less than 25,000.  Some of our north shore community neighbors were also impacted by this legislation including:  Glencoe, Northfield and Winnetka.  These communities along with the Village of Kenilworth agreed to research and evaluate options together to determine the best alternative for our communities.  Currently our four communities share a common radio frequency, so working together to explore alternative dispatch options was essential.

All four communities wanted to make sure that we had carefully evaluated the service, safety, staffing, technology, and cost implications of our alternative dispatch options.  Our 911 dispatch centers are an essential part of our emergency response systems and all communities agreed to move forward with a plan that meets the needs of our residents and our first responder’s long term.  To assist us with this work, the four communities hired the Matrix Consulting Group, out of Mountain View, CA.  This firm specializes in public safety and emergency communication consulting services and has assisted over 500 police and fire departments with similar initiatives. 

The Matrix Consulting Group study involved 5 months of evaluation and reporting covering areas such as:  activity and call volume, ancillary work tasks, staffing needs, capital needs, connectivity and financial impact.  This in-depth study resulted in a recommendation for all four of our communities to enter into a contract for dispatch services with the Village of Glenview.  The report highlighted several reasons for their recommendation to include:  Glenview has a proven track record for professional service, experience with dispatch consolidation, success with prior dispatch consolidation, have capacity without becoming oversized, fully redundant back-up center in Highland Park and lower cost.

The Villages of Glencoe, Kenilworth, Northfield and Winnetka have decided to follow the recommendation in the consultant’s study in order to comply with this State mandate.  Each of our partnering community’s Village Boards have signed the intergovernmental agreement with Glenview and are working together in order to ensure a smooth transition by the July 1, 2017 date cited in the law.

As we work to comply with this State law, we have put together a frequently asked question page on our Village Website to help residents get answers to their questions regarding this change.  Please utilize the link below to access this web page. 
 
Consolidated Dispatch Services - Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Kenilworth Police Department
419 Richmond Road 
Kenilworth, IL 60043
(847) 251-2141