Kane sheriff promotes dispatcher

Deputy Kane County Sheriff's Office Communications Director Jennifer Baustian was promoted Friday to director, Sheriff Pat Perez announced.

The director of communications is responsible for the operation of the county 911 Center. The sheriff's department dispatches for 10 police and seven fire departments. Other county and township agencies with their own dispatchers rely on the sheriff's department to provide after-hours dispatching services.

Baustian also will be responsible for helping plan the relocation of the 911 Center to the new jail campus under construction in St. Charles Township. The center now is located on the campus of the current jail in Geneva.

The 911 Center, which employs 21 dispatchers, has handled more than 247,000 calls this year.

The director position has been vacant since Perez became sheriff in late 2006. Baustian was promoted to deputy director eight months ago when the previous deputy director, Heather Gardiner, resigned.

Baustian, of North Aurora, has been a dispatcher at the sheriff's department for more than eight years. Her new salary will be determined next week, said Lt. Pat Gengler, the sheriff's department's public information officer.