The consolidation of 9-1-1 and emergency dispatch in Lake County took a significant step forward after Lake County Board members approved the necessary intergovernmental agreements needed to get the ball rolling during committee meetings.
The Law and Judicial and Finance and Administrative committees approved documents establishing Lake County as a founding member of LakeComm, which will serve as the consolidated Public Safety Answering Point for all agencies partnering in the new consolidated dispatch center, officials said in a news release.
The two committees also approved a second intergovernmental agreement establishing a joint Emergency Telephone System Board that will be responsible for managing the operational aspects of the 9-1-1 system, officials said.
The role of the ETSB includes maintaining the equipment, managing the budget, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, officials said.
The measure will now move to the committee of the whole meeting Friday before going for a final vote in front of the Lake County Board June 11.
Officials said in the news release the LakeComm call center will be responsible for answering calls for law enforcement, fire, and emergency medical services and will play a critical role in ensuring emergency calls are quickly and efficiently routed to the appropriate response units.
“By consolidating our 9-1-1 dispatch centers, telecommunicators can provide faster and more coordinated responses to emergencies, ultimately saving time and more importantly, lives,” said Lake County Board Chair Sandy Hart.
Noticeably absent from LakeComm is the Lake County Sheriff’s Office after Lake County Sheriff John Idleburg announced in February he was pulling his department out of the agreement to join the new consolidated dispatch center.
Idleburg said in a letter previously sent to the Lake County Board that he was not opposed to dispatch consolidation but said the current plan appears to be beneficial for smaller law enforcement and fire agencies.
“The presented plan is not at all ideal for a large organization, such as the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, which is why I continue to have significant concerns,” the sheriff said.
His concerns arose after a cost-benefit analysis determined it would cost the sheriff’s office significantly more to join the consolidated dispatch center, officials said.
Waukegan has also withdrawn from the consolidation agreement.
If approved by the Lake County Board June 11, the new ETSB would still need to receive final approval from the State of Illinois 9-1-1 Administrator.