Kane County 911 officials flag staffing and funding shortfalls; radio management resolution advances

Blair Guthrie, a representative of Kingcom, told the Kane County Judicial and Public Safety Committee on April 10 that staffing shortages and rising costs are hampering operations and that the center will press the state for a higher 911 line surcharge.

Guthrie said Kingcom remains a 24/7 multi-jurisdictional dispatch center responsible for police, fire and EMS radio and call-taking functions and that hiring and retention are the program’s ‘‘biggest priority.’’ She cited industry benchmarks and local experience: ‘‘Studies have concluded that dispatchers are being diagnosed with PTSD … less than 1 percent of the general population can actually do the job of a 9 1 1 telecommunicator,’’ and turnover in 9-1-1 work is ‘‘approximately 30%’’ with average tenure ‘‘down to 1 to 3 years.’’

The nut of Guthrie’s funding message was the 911 line surcharge, which she said has not kept pace with inflation. She said the existing surcharge — $1.50 per line — covers roughly 30% of Kingcom’s costs and about 42% of a center’s typical expenses on average. Guthrie said Illinois 911 stakeholders are seeking a higher, adjustable line fee (she identified a $2.50 base rate with annual adjustment as a model used in Chicago) and that local directors will lobby legislators in Springfield on April 29. ‘‘In order to maintain that, we have to keep moving forward, which is what this funding will support,’’ Guthrie said.

Guthrie described operational pressures that drive the request: a multi-step selection and training pipeline for telecommunicators (skills test, interview, background, psychological and physical exams), long training assignments supervised by certified training operators, frequent requests for audio and records (573 in 2024), and capital/technology projects such as replacing T1 circuits with fiber and integrating emergency medical dispatch (EMD) protocols into the computer-aided dispatch (CAD) system.

Separately, the committee approved a resolution authorizing a Motorola Radio Management program. County staff said the program enables over-the-air radio programming (using radios’ Wi-Fi capability) so the county radio administrator no longer must visit each device to update configurations. Commissioner Leonard moved the resolution and Commissioner Teppy seconded. During roll call the members present voted in favor and the motion passed; the committee sent the resolution to Budget and Finance for final review. Staff noted the cost will be submitted for reimbursement via the Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB).

Why it matters: Kingcom’s presentation connected near-term workforce strain to longer-term system needs — technology upgrades, interagency data sharing and predictable funding — and the Motorola resolution is intended to reduce maintenance labor and speed radio updates across public safety agencies.

Committee questions focused on use of in-vehicle technologies and staffing mechanics. Guthrie described AVL/mapping integration and an existing Tyler/New World enterprise CAD interface used by the sheriff and other agencies. She also outlined mental-health supports for dispatch staff, including a contracted psychologist, and said sessions are available confidentially at no cost. She asked committee members to contact legislators to support the surcharge change and offered briefings and tours to show Kingcom technology and processes.

Ending: The committee advanced the Motorola Radio Management resolution to Budget and Finance and recorded Kingcom’s request for legislative support on the 911 surcharge. Guthrie said a formal handout was circulated to the committee and that she will follow up with the ETSB reimbursement paperwork.