Wilmette will shift dispatch services to Glenview

In advance of a lengthy discussion surrounding a massive proposed public facility project, Wilmette officials first took steps to alter the village’s emergency dispatch services and save taxpayers millions of dollars over the course of a decade. 

Wilmette trustees during a special Thursday, Sept. 19 Committee of the Whole meeting unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement that will transition Wilmette’s fire and police 911 dispatching services to the neighboring Village of Glenview. 

Wilmette’s police dispatching services will shift on Jan. 1 while its fire dispatching services will do so in the first quarter of 2026, Village Manager Michael Braiman said at the meeting. 

The reported reason for the delay in fire services moving to Glenview is that the village is required to provide a one-year notice to the Regional Emergency Dispatch Center, which currently services the village for fire dispatching.  

Braiman told trustees during his presentation on Thursday that the village’s work around a potential new police station spurred a review of its dispatching operations. 

As the village moves the police station project forward, officials are making decisions on which services could be included and which will not, presenting an opportune time to consider regionalization of dispatch, Braiman noted. 

“This is not a decision that we took lightly or that we made rashly,” Braiman said. “Anytime that you are making a decision that directly impacts employees of the village and directly impacts public safety services to the community, we take it really seriously and we spend a lot of time thoughtfully considering all of our options and what is the best decision for the long-term interest of the community.”

Local communities around the state have progressively been regionalizing dispatch services for years, according to Braiman, who added this is now a “common theme across Illinois and across the country.” 

Glenview currently operates police and fire dispatching for several other nearby communities and the village of Wilmette received positive recommendations from Highland Park, Lake Forest and Glencoe, all of which utilized Glenview for both. 

“We’ve looked at it many times over the years and didn’t feel the time was right,” he added. “Now is the right time for us to move forward and make that transition.” 

During the meeting, Braiman detailed a series of benefits the newly approved agreement will provide.  According to village officials, the shift will result in a “substantial long-term savings to the village of Wilmette and our taxpayers.” With the change, Wilmette will save approximately $6.6 million over a 10-year space in dispatching-related costs, per Braiman. 

Additionally, the switch results in a reduction in the size and cost of the potential new police station project, Braiman said, decreasing the necessary size by approximately 1,700 square feet and cost by up to $1.1 million. 

Existing Wilmette telecommunicators reportedly will also have jobs in the Glenview dispatch center if they choose. This provision was a “must-have” for Wilmette officials to even consider the agreement, Braiman said.  

Village officials also stressed during the meeting that the move will maintain or improve public safety services in Wilmette. One example officials provided is that the transition will eliminate an additional step of a call transfer between Wilmette dispatch to the RED Center for fire and emergency medical services that currently exists. That transfer will be removed because Glenview provides joint police and fire dispatching.  

“I think it’s important to be clear to the community that the service that is currently provided to our residents is exceptional, especially from our police telecommunicator standpoint,” Braiman said. “We’re not making this decision because we’re not performing well or that Glenview can perform that service better. We’re doing a great job now. We’re making this decision given the timing of the police station and given the other benefits we’ll discuss.” 

Village trustees voiced support for the move but acknowledged it will be a challenging transition. 

Trustee Kate Gjaja said she recognized it will be hard but that she believes it’s the right choice. 

Prior to the board’s vote, Village President Senta Plunkett took a moment to thank Wilmette’s telecommunicators — several of whom were in attendance — for their dedicated service. 

“We really do appreciate the excellent service that you’ve given our police department,” Plunkett said. “I’ve had to call a couple of times and we’ve always felt and knew that someone would answer that call and be caring and kind, and we truly appreciate it.”

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