Dispatch delay creates new concerns in Bloomingdale

Sparked by resident concerns, Bloomingdale officials will hold a public hearing on plans to consolidate their emergency dispatch center with the Addison Police Department.

Village board members started discussing consolidation in October, saying it would save the village up to $230,000 a year.

But at the eleventh hour in early January — just as officials voted to continue negotiating with Addison — about two dozen residents voiced concerns about the safety of citizens and officers. They said they worry the new dispatchers won’t be familiar with the layout of the village during an emergency.

This week, officials agreed to hold a public meeting, which is not yet scheduled. The delay temporarily saves the jobs of six full-time dispatchers, a full-time supervisor, and a part-time dispatcher, and alleviates some of the residents’ safety concerns.

But it also creates financial concerns for the police department.

Police Chief Frank Giammarese said consolidation was slated to be complete in six to eight months, around the same time the village’s new Addison-based dispatch would join all DuPage County police and fire departments being converted to the interoperable Starcom radio network. The network will allow all departments to communicate on the same frequencies and the transition is being primarily funded by the DuPage County Emergency Telephone System Board.

“My pressing question is: What will they say to us about adding equipment to a center that potentially wouldn’t be around for that long?” Giammarese said.

Bloomingdale is slated to receive roughly $300,000 in a grant for radio equipment, and Giammarese is researching whether Starcom dispatch boards are included in this grant. Otherwise, he said he fears the department must shoulder the cost while officials keep the dispatch center open indefinitely.

“If we had to put more equipment in place until the decision is made, someone is going to have to be accountable for the costs until the consolidation goes through,” Giammarese said.

Trustee Robert Czernek this week suggested the matter should become the subject of an advisory referendum question. The soonest such a question could appear on a ballot is in the November election. Trustees did not take any action on the proposal.

For now, they will try decide on a public hearing date during a Feb. 27 meeting. In the meantime, Giammarese said residents with questions about consolidation and how it might affect Bloomingdale should email him at giamf@vil.bloomingdale.il.us.