Communications/Dispatch
Communications Director Bill (“Stuey”) Neumann
The Orland Fire Protection District operates a Fire & EMS only Communications/Dispatch Center that provides 911 EMS and Fire service to the residents of the Orland Fire Protection District. Under contract, Orland Central Dispatch (OCD) also provides the same services to residents of Oak Forest, Lemont FPD, Palos FPD, Calumet City, Country Club Hills, Blue Island, Merrionette Park and Garden Homes. Our Dispatch team consists of a Director, Supervisor and 12 full-time Telecommunicators. The Center is staffed with 3 Telecommunicators 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
In 2020, Orland Central processed over 36,000 calls for service. Besides the departments contracted with the Center, Orland Central is the Mutual Aid Box Alarm (MABAS) Dispatch Center for Division 19, which covers 12 Southwest Suburban communities. Some departments require assistance for incidents beyond their resources and capabilities. MABAS was systematically designed to provide speed of response and resources to these stricken communities during such an emergency. In 2020, Orland Central handled 29 requests through the MABAS Division 19 System. Orland Central is also the back-up Communications Center for RED Center in Northbrook. RED Center serves as the primary dispatch center for the State of Illinois when a coordinated statewide response of firefighting and EMS personnel and equipment is needed. Orland Central is responsible for the coordination of any suburban response needed for an assist to the Chicago Fire Department for incidents south of 22 nd Street in Chicago. Orland Telecommunicators participate in ongoing Continuous Education provided by APCO (Association of Public-Safety Communications Officers) and the Silver Cross EMS System on a monthly basis. The Telecommunicators also participate in Incident Command, MABAS, and Blue Card Simulator training with the Orland Firefighters.
The dispatch center utilizes the Tri-Tech Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) system that works along with automatic vehicle locators (AVL) in the fire rigs to dispatch the closest equipment to a call. The center also uses the RapidSOS Platform for every incoming 911 call that originates from a cellular phone. The RapidSOS Platform assists Emergency Communications Centers (ECCs) across the US, and is integrated with over 350 million connected cellular phones and devices. These connected phones and devices, recognized as RapidSOS Ready, transmit real-time location, health and medical information in an emergency. 2020 proved a challenging year for everyone due to COVID-19. Like other dispatch centers, Orland Central had to arrange to screen the employees daily, cover shifts when some of the dispatchers had to be quarantined, and adjust to a “new sense of normal”. Complicating matters further is the fact that evolving health guidelines and the limitations of resources caused frequent changes in the procedures used in dispatching first responders. In addition to asking 911 callers routine questions, additional questions designed to assess the COVID-19 risk were added. Furthermore, agencies are changing protocols regularly to keep their employees and the public safe. Orland Central’s Telecommunicators proved they are true professionals in these trying times. 45