Illinois is looking at condensing individually operated emergency dispatch units in order to more easily regulate their funds. Western Springs, La Grange Park and La Grange have started the consolidation process, and plan to have one large dispatch unit for fielding 911 calls in La Grange by early 2016.

“The three villages are looking at consolidating our emergency dispatch for both police, fire and medical needs from the ambulance,” Police Chief of La Grange Park Ed Rompas said. “In the long term this will help us financially, because the state is looking into consolidating units for economic benefits. The village is trying to go one step ahead of where the state is down the road, because the state hasn’t mandated exact time frames for that yet.”

With this future consolidation, there are no planned cuts to current dispatch resources or personnel. All currently employed dispatchers will be invited to apply for a job at the new center. However, if any of the dispatchers are not emergency medical dispatchers [EMDs] they will have to undergo training in order to apply. As of now, there will be no physical changes made to the La Grange dispatch center, because all departments agree it can handle the additional units. The vacant Western Springs and La Grange Park units will still be lightly staffed in order to handle the people that still walk in to the departments needing aid.

“I’m 100 percent pro for this,” Rompas said. “It gives more training to our staff. What’s nicer about [La Grange Park’s] center more than the other centers that have consolidated is that our center’s going to consist of all the dispatchers that presently work in these towns, and who truly know them. So when someone picks up that phone with a 911 call it’s truly going to be someone who can answer it, because they’re familiar with the town.”

However, the transition has not always run smoothly. Western Springs Police Chief Pamela Church changed the shifts the officers had worked under for 17 years from 12-hour shifts, with rotations every two months or so and a three day weekend, to eight-hour shifts with a rotation change yearly, so they could more easily assimilate to the La Grange and La Grange Park eight-hour shift schedule. The officers then put a vote of “no confidence” in Church, which means they feel she is no longer fit to remain in her position. The vote is non-binding, so Church does not have to take any measures against it, but its purpose is meant to send a powerful message.

“It makes me sad my fellow officers are so upset, but I need to do what is best for the department,” Church said. “At the end of the day, I am in charge and I have to make tough decisions. I understand that the old shift is what they are used to, but shifts change and that is a part of being an officer.”

The acting Chief of Police of La Grange, Renee Strasser, declined to comment.