McCook police officers will now respond faster than ever to 911 calls.
A new program launched the week of Aug. 17 called “Live 911” lets officers hear emergency calls directly in their squad cars before dispatch sends them out. Deputy Chief Dave Deleshe explained the system at the village board meeting that night.
“Anybody who calls 911 in McCook, our officers will hear it live in their squad cars. It has proven unbelievable in other communities that have it,” he told village trustees.
“Squads can be there before they are dispatched,” he said. “It’s a good service. It’s not only for McCook. They can hear 911 calls for Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield, too.”
The four communities share one dispatch center based in North Riverside. Sometimes, police from nearby communities assist each other on big cases like a car eluding police in one town into another.
Those extra seconds can mean the difference between life and death. If someone is having trouble breathing, arriving 30 seconds faster can save a life.
It may solve crimes faster, too. For example, Deleshe said if someone is spotted breaking into a car, police can arrive faster and possibly catch them in the act.
“Here in this job, 30 seconds, even five seconds can make a difference. (It’s good) to get an officer there that much quicker, especially for someone who is not breathing,” Deleshe added.