Barrington Countryside Fire switches dispatch centers

The Barrington Countryside Fire Protection District is using a new emergency dispatch system that officials say will provide better service to residents.

At the beginning of the month, Barrington Countryside left CenCom 9-1-1, a suburban consolidated dispatch center, to join the Arlington Heights-based 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.

"Identifying opportunities to continually provide residents with faster response times and better service is our top priority," Barrington Countryside Board President Keith Hanson said in a news release this week. "Our partnership with NWCDS is an important step forward."

Barrington Countryside Fire Chief James Kreher said no one at CenCom lost their job as a result of the change.

CenCom Director Lisa Berger did not return a call for comment Wednesday.

Barrington Countryside spokesman Ryan McKeon said the district used CenCom's services since its split from the Barrington Fire Department in 2014.