From excerpts published on ChicagoTribune.com:
New Lenox Fire Chief Steve Engledow has reached his breaking point after grappling with persistent computer crashes and technical hiccups over the past three months. He's now pushing the Will County 911 board to abandon the newly upgraded 911 system developed by Motorola Solutions. Since the debut of the Premiere One system on November 6th, dispatchers, firefighters, and police personnel have voiced numerous grievances. These include instances where the Premier One software unexpectedly shuts down or becomes unresponsive, causing the map display to go blank or fail to offer accurate directions. Dispatchers have struggled to relay crucial data to field units effectively.
Chief Engledow, along with other local law enforcement and firefighting officials, noted further issues such as the system sometimes providing incorrect details about the responding agency or dispatching the wrong personnel and equipment to emergency scenes. Deputy Sheriff Robert Contro highlighted the significant IT challenges encountered by the sheriff’s department, which operates 175 laptops. This has left officers unable to issue citations at times, as seen in a recent video recording of the January 29th meeting held by the county’s Emergency Telephone System Board (ETSB).
Mokena Police Chief Steve Vaccaro expressed deep frustration, emphasizing the danger posed to both officers and community safety. Although no serious incidents have occurred due to these malfunctions yet, the potential risks are evident, as noted by Steve Rauter, director of Wescom, one of Will County’s busiest dispatch hubs in Plainfield. Channahon Police Chief Jeff Wold recounted a dangerous situation during a domestic violence call, where officers failed to receive critical information about a man armed with a knife hiding inside a home because the system froze for ten minutes.
The tension ran high during the lengthy two-and-a-half-hour meeting, offering county emergency responders an opportunity to voice their frustrations directly to Motorola Solutions representatives. The company responded with a statement affirming their commitment to resolving the issues using dedicated resources and ensuring reliability surpasses expectations.
The ETSB initiated the search for a new 911 system four years ago, opting to upgrade instead of replacing the current infrastructure. They signed a $2 million contract with Motorola, but the project proved more complex than anticipated, taking two years to finalize. To date, the board has withheld $900,000 of the total amount until the problems are resolved.
"Motorola is addressing this with a strict timeline set by the board," said Steve Figved, ETSB’s chief administrator. "They’ve assured us this will be fixed... I truly believe they’ll meet that deadline."
In an effort to address these concerns, Motorola Solutions is actively working to stabilize the system while engaging closely with the county to ensure long-term satisfaction. The lingering challenges underscore the complexity of implementing advanced technology solutions in high-stakes environments like public safety systems.
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