Rolling Meadows: Joining collective 911 center would save money

Rolling Meadows is considering abandoning its own emergency dispatch service to join Northwest Central Dispatch - a move that would lay off dispatchers but save the city thousands of dollars a year.

"Yes, there are downsides, but we're talking about real dollar savings that are shocking and something we can't ignore," said Rolling Meadows Police Chief Steven Williams.

Northwest Central Dispatch is a cooperative dispatch service that has served northwest Cook County and parts of DuPage and Lake counties since 1972.

The system already serves Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove, Hoffman Estates, Mount Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights, Schaumburg, Streamwood and Inverness.

The Rolling Meadows city council heard a presentation about joining the system last week, but tabled the issue until a Jan. 20 committee-of-the-whole meeting.

The city is expected to spend $1.5 million on its 911 center in 2009. If the city joins Northwest Central, that figure shrinks to about $814,000 in 2009 and drops again to about $500,000 in 2010, according to Cmdr. John Pearson of the Rolling Meadows Police Department.

However, the savings would come at a cost. The city's dispatch center has 15 employees - eight full-time dispatchers, two supervisors and five part-time dispatchers. Northwest Central said they would hire up to six Rolling Meadows dispatchers, but there is no guarantee, Pearson said.

One of those dispatchers, Corinne Henniger, spoke out against the move at Tuesday's meeting.

"We know all our city streets and its landmarks," Henniger said. "When seconds count, that could be the difference between life and death. The citizens of Rolling Meadows deserve better."

If Rolling Meadows does join Northwest Central, it wouldn't affect the city's nonemergency calls. Even residents calling 911 probably won't notice the switch, Williams said.

"It will be seamless," he said.

City officials have talked about joining Northwest Central several times in years past, but have never been able to find out how much the move would specifically save the city. In August, officials paid Northwest Central $15,000 to study the possibility and got their answers, Williams said.

The city's dispatch center is on the third floor of city hall. Police would still use the space for nonemergency calls, Williams said.

Aldermen delayed the issue to Jan 20 because many said they didn't have enough time to read the report.

"I had the weekend to read a very complicated 40-page document," said Alderman John Pitzaferro. "I haven't gotten though it yet. I find this whole thing overwhelming."

The city could join Northwest Dispatch as early as this spring. Schaumburg was the latest community to join in 2006.