West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center, which dispatches Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest first responders, is a part of the state’s 1st cohort
Wednesday Journal
In 2021, Gov. JB Pritzker signed the Community Emergency Services and Supports Act into law. The law requires mental health referrals instead of police response in some situations. Since the law passed, the Illinois Department of Human Services has been working with the Illinois State Police, EMS administrators under the purview of the Illinois Department of Public Health, plus state and regional advisory committees to fully implement the law by July 1, 2027.
Late last year, the first cohort of about 20 out of 175 dispatch centers in Illinois started training, including the West Suburban Consolidated Dispatch Center, which connects 911 callers in Forest Park, Oak Park and River Forest to emergency resources.