Northwest Central Dispatchers Express “No Confidence” in Leadership

The union representing dispatchers for the Northwest Central Dispatch System recently cast a vote of “no confidence” in the agency’s leadership during a board meeting held in Arlington Heights. The decision, made earlier this week, reflects growing frustration among workers over ongoing issues with the new computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system, which was implemented on April 24.

The CAD system, responsible for routing emergency calls to local fire and police departments, has faced repeated technical problems that have led to delays in response times. In addition to these issues, dispatchers have also reported difficulties with radio equipment and administrative policies that have contributed to high stress levels at work.

Rick Tracy, an executive board member of the Metropolitan Alliance of Police—the union representing the dispatchers—explained that the vote was not solely about the CAD system. He pointed to a series of policy changes that began years ago, which eventually led the group to form a union in February 2009.

According to Tracy, approximately 85% of the roughly 70 union members voted to express their lack of confidence in management. This is not the first time the union has taken action against the agency; they previously held a strike vote under the same leadership.

Last month, a software glitch caused a 14-minute delay in responding to a potential heart attack victim in Palatine. At the time, Cindy Barbera-Brelle, the executive director of Northwest Central Dispatch, stated that this was the first time the agency had experienced such a delay since the new system was launched.

However, union President Jennifer Delacerda disputed this claim, stating that the issue was not isolated and that problems with the system have persisted since its implementation. She also noted that management issues have been a long-standing concern for dispatchers.

“When we make mistakes, it feels like our jobs are on the line,” said Dawn Wolf, a dispatcher. “At some point, we’ll be blamed for everything.”

Tim Stencel, another dispatcher, shared his own experience with the system, saying that recent radio problems prevented Hoffman Estates and Streamwood police officers from communicating with him or each other.

In response to the concerns, the board of directors and management released an open letter to employees, acknowledging the seriousness of the issues and assuring them that efforts are being made to resolve them as quickly as possible.

Delacerda emphasized the emotional toll on workers, saying, “We unionized under this management. We took a strike vote under this management, and now we’ve taken a vote of no confidence.”

Northwest Central provides emergency dispatch services to more than 500,000 residents across several communities, including Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Elk Grove Village, Hoffman Estates, Palatine, and others. Additionally, Des Plaines, Morton Grove, Niles, and Park Ridge are considering joining the system and have agreed to participate in a feasibility study, which will cost $15,000 per community.

For more details, you can read the full article here.

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