Park Ridge May Change 911 Response Center

The Des Plaines-based emergency dispatch center that Park Ridge police and fire departments use may be changed next year after the city studies other options. 

Park Ridge Police Chief Frank Kaminski said the city is looking into other dispatch centers in order to possibly lower the cost of the services, which is running between $1.2 million and $1.3 million annually. Cost is not the only consideration, though. Park Ridge's equipment has to be compatible with that of any dispatch center it joins, he said. 

The city currently uses North Suburban Emergency Communication Center in Des Plaines. Three other communities – Niles, Morton Grove and Des Plaines – currently use the service. But Morton Grove and Niles officials have announced they are  leaving in the next few months for a new dispatch center (Glenview) because they will pay less for the service, Kaminski said. Park Ridge has also been looking into other options as a result, he said. 

Earlier:

The Northwest Central Dispatch System in Arlington Heights, which is the 911 center for 16 communities, recently told the city it's unable to take another community at this time, he said. 

But the city may have other options like the Village of Glenview Public Safety Dispatch Center, he said. 

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Kaminski said he didn't know how much money Park Ridge might save if it switched because it's still investigating its options. After researching options, the city may stay with its current dispatch center, he said. 

The city is expected to finish its study and make a final decision sometime next year, he said. 

The city joined its current dispatch center in the 1990s along with Niles, Morton Grove and Des Plaines. It currently handles the city's roughly 25,000 police calls per year, not counting fire calls, he said. 

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