Bolingbrook Will Outsource 911 Dispatch

The Bolingbrook Village Board this week voted to outsource its police and fire dispatch services, approving an intergovernmental agreement with Western Will County Communication Center (WESCOM).

The village will save a reported $319,000 per year as a result of having WESCOM take over, the Herald-News reported. Under the agreement, the village will reportedly pay WESCOM $1.13 million for its first year of membership, based on projected call volume.

WESCOM is ”a free-standing entity and a special unit of local government with nineteen member agencies” in three counties, according to its website, but is primarily focused in Will County.

The board’s vote came Tuesday despite opposition from the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, which launched a petition urging officials to keep dispatching in house.

“The village’s police and fire calls are currently handled by 15 dedicated, in-house 911 dispatchers – members of the community who serve village residents and assist the police and fire departments in their duties,” the union said on its website, adding that if WESCOM were to take over dispatching, ”the Village of Bolingbrook would be sharing dispatchers and resources with those other local governments.”

WESCOM Executive Director Steve Rauter told the Herald-News that the agency will offer jobs to Bolingbrook’s 14 full-time dispatchers and two supervisors.