Communications/Dispatch
Asst. Communications Director Gina Cortez
The Orland Fire Protection District operates a fire and EMS only emergency communications center, Orland Central Dispatch (OCD). The center is staffed 24 hours a day / 7 days a week by our emergency communications team. That team consists of a Director, Assistant Director, 12 full-time and 2 part-time Telecommunicators. OCD provides emergency communications services to residents of the Orland Fire Protection District. Additionally, under contract, Orland Central Dispatch also provides the same services to residents of Blue Island, Calumet City, Chicago Heights, Country Club Hills, Garden Homes, Lemont FPD, Merrionette Park, Oak Forest, Palos FPD and Lemont FPD. In 2021, Orland Central Dispatch processed over 41,000 fire and EMS incidents and 100,000 phone calls. Occasionally, fire and EMS incidents exceed a fire department’s capabilities and/or resources. During these incidents, the affected fire department relies on Illinois’ Mutual Aid Box Alarm System (MABAS) to systematically provide responses and resources to the stricken community. Illinois-MABAS is comprised of several Divisions. The Orland Fire Protection District is a member of MABAS Division 19. Orland Central Dispatch is the primary Division 19 emergency communications center. In 2021, OCD processed 56 Division 19 MABAS requests. Orland Central Dispatch is responsible for coordinating suburban responses to assist the Chicago Fire Department for incidents south of Chicago’s 22nd Street. OCD is also the backup MABAS communications center for Regional Emergency Dispatch (RED) Center located in Northbrook. RED Center is the primary emergency communications center for Illinois-MABAS. Together Orland Central Dispatch and RED Center have partnered to help coordinate Illinois’s statewide inbound and outbound mutual aid responses. For our part in Hurricane Ida’s response and relief efforts, all OCD staff members were awarded MABAS’s Humanitarian Service Award. In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic continued to challenge our emergency communications center. As first, first responders, Orland Central Dispatch staff showed their dedication and resilience time and time again. To help reduce staff’s stress and improve our organizational health, OCD partnered with Heartland Service Dogs. Heartland Service Dogs is a non-profit organization which provides specially trained dogs for individuals with mobility needs, hearing impairment, PTSD and various disabilities. These dogs regularly visit the emergency communications center and provide to OCD staff great comfort and tremendous joy. OCD continues to rely heavily on technology to deliver advanced emergency communications services and help improve fire and EMS responses. We utilize TriTech’s computer aided CAD system to dispatch the closest fire and EMS equipment to incidents. Orland Central Dispatch’s partnership with RapidSOS has proved invaluable. RapidSOS is a free public safety solution that helps emergency communications
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