More than 40 Lake County law enforcement and fire agencies benefit from tech overhaul
Shared computer software part of ‘system of systems’ consolidation initiative
Another step in a long-planned “system of systems” to decrease emergency response times and improve how dispatch agencies receive information and work together has gone live in Lake County.
New computer software consolidates more than 15 systems used by more than 40 law enforcement and fire agencies into one, resulting in greater efficiency, according to announcements Friday.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office said it initiated the process to upgrade critical technology in 2019 in conjunction with the Lake County Emergency Service Telephone Systems Board.
ETSB led the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) portion of the project described as a critical part of an overall consolidation effort.
That allows first responders to research call history, view routing options and other functions. It also allows telecommunicators to send the closest first responders to an emergency, according to sheriff’s Deputy Chief Chris Covelli.
The sheriff’s office led other components of the project to allow agencies to securely store data from emergency calls, police and fire reports and streamlines the process of recording information from traffic crashes, he added.
CAD, a records management system, and E-Crash were launched April 16. Other aspects were launched in September 2023 with a jail management system coming in October, Covelli said.
According to a separate release by the ETSB and Lake County 9-1-1 Consolidation Partners, collaboration began in 2018 to implement a state-of-the-art “system of systems.” CAD, records and jail management as well as citations and accidents are being built into a shared multiagency package.
The “system of systems” is among the major 9-1-1 consolidation initiatives using standardized technology to improve emergency response, information sharing and coordination while reducing costs, the agencies said.
“Using the new shared computer software is a monumental milestone and gets us ready for the physical consolidation of the participating 9-1-1 entities to the Regional Operations and Communications Facility now being built (in Libertyville),” said Steve Husak, Lake Zurich police chief and Lake County ETSB chair.
The sheriff’s office after “thorough evaluation and analysis” withdrew from plans to physically consolidate its 911 emergency communications center but continued with the technology consolidation, Covelli said.