Communications
Countryside Fire began creating its own dispatch center in July 2005. After much hard work and planning, Countryside began providing its own dispatch services on February 27, 2006. The Center functions as a secondary Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) receiving 911 transfers from Vernon Hills Police, Lake Zurich Police, and the Lake County Sheriff's Department. The Center is located inside Station 1 on Midlothian Road and provides two automated workstations and one stand-alone manual workstation.
Calls for service within the District average ten per day with the majority of calls being medical in nature. In addition to dispatch responsibilities, the telecommunicators also enter reports into the District's records management system (Firehouse), handle other data processing duties such as alarms, and answer non-emergency calls during non-business hours.
Currently three full-time telecommunicators are Certified Training Officers (CTOs). Each new telecommunicator goes through 10-12 weeks of training with a CTO before being cleared to work the desk. This timeframe is approximate and can change based on the new telecommunicator’s experience. This training includes but is not limited to: computer technology (CAD, Zetron, alarm, weather, EmNet, Outlook, and several closed-circuit camera systems), district familiarization and response areas, shift responsibilities, equipment location/orientation, MABAS information, and automatic and mutual aid responses to other jurisdictions.
Emergency Medical Dispatch
"Why all the questions when I call 911?"
Every telecommunicator is Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certified by the National Academy of Emergency Dispatch. This course requires the telecommunicator to complete a three-day class, pass a written exam, be certified in CPR, complete twelve hours of continuing education annually, and recertify with a test every two years. Eight hours of the continuing education is provided each year by our resource hospital, Advocate Condell Medical Center. Other CE hours are garnered by bi-monthly communication meetings, attending outside training courses taught by APCO, Powerphone, Public Safety Training Consultants, and various other training organizations.
This EMD training allows the telecommunicator to be the true “first” responder in that they can give post-dispatch and pre-arrival instructions to assist in medical emergencies before help arrives. These instructions may include CPR guidance, assistance with choking and childbirth, and a variety of other medical issues. We ask that you be patient when you call in such cases and answer the questions that the telecommunicator is asking you. Remember that they are only trying to help you!
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Renee Espinosa Director of Communications Serving Since 2005 20 Years Experience Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch BS Criminal Justice Supervision of Police Personnel Communications Training Officer Member, Association of Public Safety Communications Officials Member, National Emergency Number Association Member, Northeast Illinois 911 Professionals Manage Division Operations Supervise Telecommunicators |
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Dan Tatro Communications Coordinator/Firemedic Serving Since 2003 14 Years Experience Firefighter 2/Paramedic Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch Communications Training Officer Member, Association of Public Safety Communications Officials CAD Programming Dispatch Technology Training |
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| Robert Abrahams Telecommunicator Serving Since 2005 8 Years Experience Firefighter 2/EMT Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch Communications Training Officer BLS Instructor MABAS Cards Training |
Jessica Gregurich Firemedic/Telecommunicator Serving Since 2001 11 Years Experience Fire Officer 1/Paramedic Fire Apparatus Engineer Wildland Firefighter Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch Training Records |
Christy Lindsey Telecommunicator Serving Since 2008 21 Years Experience Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch |
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| Keenan Stone Telecommunicator Serving Since 2006 5 Years Experience Firefighter 2/EMT Fire Apparatus Engineer Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch Ice Rescue Swiftwater Rescue |
Catherine Wheelock Telecommunicator Serving Since 2009 14 Years Experience Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch Communications Training Officer |
Kristy Williams Telecommunicator Serving Since 2005 10 Years Experience Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch BS Liberal Arts Communications Training Officer Alarm Board Information Training |
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