Assisting Callers

The Communications Section serves as the public safety answering point for the Villages of Vernon Hills, Libertyville, and Lincolnshire and provide emergency and non-emergency radio and telephone communications for all three departments. On-duty communications operators (also known as telecommunications) are the first representatives of the departments for all persons calling for assistance and they are the link between the citizens and first responders.

The communications room is staffed 24 hours-a-day, 365 days-a-year. All calls to 911 for police, fire, and rescue assistance are answered in this facility. The department has 14 trained telecommunications who answer all calls for service. An enhanced 911 system helps to quickly determine the location of an incident so appropriate assistance is dispatched as promptly as possible. The communications room also contains the operating system for the Village Emergency Warning Siren System.

However, the role of the Communications Section does not lay solely with the answering of phones and dispatching of personnel and/or equipment. The telecommunications also monitor all emergency radio communications, a mobile data terminal unit, prisoner booking proceedings, a weather computer, burglar/fire alarms, and the building's closed circuit television system. During non-business hours, the telecommunicators also monitor walk-in traffic at the Libertyville and Lincolnshire Police Departments.

Duties

Some of the additional duties of a telecommunication include:

• Keep informed and alert of locations and status of on-duty police officers
• Answering non-emergency phone calls that come in through the general non-emergency number
• Keep abreast of all memorandums and procedural changes
• Record police activity into the in-house computer system
• Accurately record all information relative to an officer's activity
• Obtain tow trucks when requested
• Give information to citizens regarding current events, laws, regulations, etc.
• During non-business hours, serve as the department receptionist for the public walk-in window
• Activate the Emergency Warning Siren System

For more information on the job of telecommunicator, view our Recruitment section.