Des Plaines considers joining RED Center (more)

"Our opinion is we’re just as good as them (RED)."

Des Plaines dispatchers are rallying community support in an effort to keep the city’s 911 center running independently. Rebecca Brink, a long-time dispatcher and union representative, has been handing out fliers highlighting the potential negative consequences of switching to the Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center in Northbrook. She hopes residents will join her at the upcoming council meeting on Tuesday, September 3, to voice their concerns and urge the aldermen to reconsider the plan.

The city is looking to save $133,272 per year by moving fire dispatching to RED. Under this plan, police dispatching would continue at the Des Plaines Emergency Communications Center (DPECC), located on the second floor of city hall. Meanwhile, the police department is exploring options such as joining another dispatch center or keeping DPECC operational.

Interestingly, Park Ridge shares the use of DPECC and would need to move with Des Plaines to make the RED transition work. The Park Ridge City Council recently approved the switch. However, Morton Grove and Niles have already pulled out of the DPECC earlier this year.

If Des Plaines moves to RED, calls for fire emergencies would first be handled at DPECC before being transferred to RED. Brink claims this process could cause delays of up to 45 seconds due to the need for both centers to verify caller information and location. She based this estimate on data from randomly selected calls.

Fire Chief Alan Wax, however, explained that most towns using RED handle fire calls almost immediately upon identification, without waiting for additional details. He argues that the slight delay is more than offset by RED’s overall efficiency and reliability.

Brink suggests instead that the city should invest $1.3 million in upgrading the DPECC’s equipment to bring it up to modern standards. She claims that previous leadership failed to push for these upgrades. While Wax acknowledged that past officials may have overlooked the need for improvements, he emphasized that the decision was made by DPECC’s administration and board.

Brink also highlighted the benefits of having police and fire dispatchers work side by side, making coordination between agencies seamless. In contrast, Wax said that while communication with police dispatchers under RED would require a phone call, the time added is minimal compared to the efficiency gained.

Wax praised RED as the top fire dispatch service in the state and stressed that the goal is to provide the best possible service to the community at a lower cost. “We want to offer the best to our citizens and the fire department,” he said, “and we have the chance to do that with RED.”

Since the uncertainty surrounding DPECC began, staff has dropped to just over 25 people, including 17 dispatchers. Both the director and deputy director have left in recent months, adding to the instability. “We're doing everything we can to ensure the public still receives the same quality of service,” Brink said.

The city council initially considered the switch last week but postponed the vote until September 3 to allow more time for Brink and others to present their case. Brink is determined to show the council that the team at DPECC is just as capable as RED. “We’ve worked together with Park Ridge since 1992,” she said. “Our opinion is we’re just as good as them (RED).”

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