Police Dispatch Services Move to DU-COMM Tuesday

Starting Tuesday at 10 a.m., 911 calls will not be answered by a dispatcher in the Woodridge Police Department dispatch center. 

Instead, calls will go to a consolidated dispatch center called DU-COMM. DuComm handles calls and monitors frequencies from 27 police, fire and emergency medical agencies covering more than 70,000 residents, according to DU-COMM's website. 

The Woodridge Village Board approved the move in October, although there was a plan for years to move to a consolidated dispatch center.

Mayor William F. Murphy said the move will save the village $400,000 per year. Woodridge currently employs seven dispatchers.

"There is no question to the dedication of the existing employees," Murphy said during the Oct. 7 village meeting. "Our telecommunications staff is just outstanding. But we have to take into consideration the tax impact. This will eliminate significant capital costs." 

Where non-emergency calls will be answered will change too. 

According to a news release from the Woodridge Police Department: 

"In the past, for non-emergency issues, residents were asked to call our non-emergency phone number (630) 719-4740. Beginning June 7, 2011, if you dial the general administrative phone number, you will be taken through an automated attendant and eventually transferred to DU-COMM for a police officer to respond. The automated attendant has been developed to provide the caller with many options in order to address their administrative call."

The police department will also establish business hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Residents will be able to enter the inner lobby of the police department after that and use a call box to contact an officer if needed. 

Some residents expressed concerns over the switch to DU-COMM at the October meeting. The village has said there will be no noticeable difference for residents after the switch. 

"What does this mean to the average person calling 911 in Woodridge? The average caller should not notice a change when they call 911 to request emergency services.

Your emergency call will still be answered and dispatched by a highly trained telecommunicator - only, after Tuesday, they will be at DU-COMM as opposed to a dispatching service on-site at the Woodridge Police Department,"  according to a police department news release.

"We have planned for and anticipate the average caller noticing no significant changes to the way in which they request and receive emergency services," the release said.