Consolidated 9-1-1 Dispatch
West Central Consolidated Communications (WC3)
WC3 is a consolidated dispatch center serving the member villages below. The primary goal of WC3 is to provide a consolidated 9-1-1 system that can efficiently and effectively handle emergency and non-emergency calls and initiate requests for police, fire, and EMS.
The center strives to provide professional telecommunicators and 9-1-1 call takers and to provide those services affordably to the residents, business community, and public. In partnership with the member agencies, WC3 provides emergency communications for the saving and protection of the lives and property of the citizens they serve.
McCook
North Riverside
Riverside
Brookfield
Important — Call Routing Notice
Residents and businesses must remember that all emergency and non-emergency calls are routed to WC3 (currently housed in the North Riverside Police Department) and not to the McCook Police Department. Administrative phone calls will still reach the police desk during business hours.
Next Generation 9-1-1 (NG911)
In 2015, the Illinois General Assembly adopted Public Act 99-0006 to prepare Illinois for a statewide Next Generation 911 system. NG911 systems include greater data capacity and broad interoperability with more communication media — including text messages, web submissions, and video calls — than the currently operating enhanced (E911) system. All local 911 systems in Illinois were required to become NG911 compliant no later than July 1, 2020.
What to Expect When Calling 9-1-1
When calling 9-1-1, please do your best to collect your thoughts and ensure that what you are calling to report is, in fact, an emergency — medical emergencies, crimes in progress or crimes that just occurred, traffic collisions, fires, etc.
A dispatcher will answer and state: "9-1-1 emergency, where is your emergency?" You are now in the hands of a person who is trained in dealing with crisis communications. Your average dispatcher has received extensive training to assist with handling all types of calls from people facing emergency situations.
When a dispatcher answers 9-1-1, they must be ready for any type of call. They must also be ready to quickly and accurately collect facts while making critical decisions based on a minimum amount of information.
Medical Emergency
The dispatcher is trained to ask several questions to determine the severity of the illness or injury. This information ensures the correct resources are dispatched to assist you.
Fire Emergency
The dispatcher will try to determine what is burning and where, because different fires require different types of fire suppression equipment.
Stay on the Line
An important thing to remember for all 9-1-1 calls is to stay on the phone and try your best to maintain your composure until the dispatcher tells you to hang up.
Calming Callers
All dispatchers are trained to deal with hysterical callers. Calming a caller takes valuable time — the more composed you are, the faster critical information can be obtained.
Information Gathered for Police Calls
If your 9-1-1 call is for the police, the dispatcher must determine several valuable pieces of information. Officers will be dispatched while the dispatcher continues to ask you additional questions — please know that officers are being dispatched while these questions are being asked, so do not worry about any undue delay in response time.
- Where do you need officers to respond?
- What is your name?
- Time frame?
- Are there any weapons involved?
- Is anyone hurt?
- Where are you calling from?
- What happened?
- Is anyone under the influence of alcohol or drugs?
- Who did it?
- What number are you calling from?
- Description of the suspect, vehicle, etc.
- Where did they go?
The dispatcher will gather enough information to start officers to the location, then begin asking follow-up questions. They will ask about the suspect's race, gender, and approximate age — details least likely to change. Next, approximate height and weight. Clothing descriptions are obtained working from the top down (hat, shirt, pants) and outside in (jacket, shirt, etc.).
The Role of Our Dispatchers
Each time you dial 9-1-1, the call starts an intricate chain of events intended to provide you with the assistance you need. Each call is different and the dispatcher must be prepared to be the calming influence for all callers, no matter the crisis. Our dispatchers must always be flexible — there are no set formulas when dealing with incoming phone calls, only general guidelines.
The dispatchers who handle 9-1-1 calls for WC3 use the best practices and are revered in their line of duty. Your safety, the safety of your family, and the safety of our firefighters and police officers who respond to your emergency depends on the communication skills and training of our dispatchers. These professionals play a major role in the safety of our community.
If You Dialed 9-1-1 by Mistake
Do not hang up. Stay on the line and explain to the dispatcher that you dialed by mistake and that you do not have an emergency. A police officer may still respond to verify that you are OK. It is very important to be careful when dialing extensions or prefixes to get an outside line.