South Elgin might join regional 911 dispatch

South Elgin is looking at getting rid of its in-house 911 emergency dispatch center and transferring those services to a regional dispatch center, but officials hope that no employees will lose their jobs in the process.

At a committee of the whole meeting on Tuesday, Police Chief Chris Merritt recommended the village transfer its 911 operations to Kane County Emergency Communications (KaneComm), based in Geneva. The move would save the village at least $143,000 annually, said Merritt, who was directed to look at operational cuts a few months ago.

“Having our own dispatch center is a luxury,” said Merritt, who hopes the transfer will be completed by May 1, when the next fiscal year begins. “I believe I am doing what’s best for the village, and being fiscally responsible.”

Maintaining the village’s 911 dispatch center means that in four or five years the village would incur in costs of up to $1 million including hardware and software upgrades, additional personnel and more, Merritt said. Elgin is the only other municipality in Kane County with its own emergency dispatch center, he said.

KaneComm serves the Kane County Sheriff’s Office, plus Campton Hills, Gilberts, Hampshire, Maple Park, Pingree Grove and Wayne, Merritt said. Staff also examined two other regional dispatch centers, QuadCom 911 in Carpentersville and Tri-Com Central Dispatch in St. Charles, but KaneComm best suits the needs of the village, Merritt said.

South Elgin wouldn’t need to build any additional infrastructure to join KaneComm, which would most likely be able to give South Elgin a seat on its board of directors, Merritt said. Most importantly, KaneComm can offer a way for village staff to get new jobs, he said.

Jennifer Baustian, KaneComm’s director of communications, said the agency will need to hire five additional employees. “It is our intention to make those available to South Elgin before the open hiring process,” she said. The South Elgin dispatch center currently employs eight people, and three would keep their jobs in records or other positions, said Merritt, whom trustees directed to move forward with the planning process.

Peggy Haacker, a 27-year veteran dispatcher in South Elgin, said she was “still absorbing” the news that the center might close next year. “Because I’ve been a dispatcher so long, I know that we have to evolve,” she said.