As the Tribune recommended in a May 9 editorial, Chicago has evaluated the effectiveness of its 911 emergency communica- tions system. We have one of the fastest and most efficient in the world.
The Office of Emergency Communications (OEC) receives a call almost every seven seconds, or roughly 12,000 calls per day. Approx- imately half of all 911 calls result in a police dispatch, and more than 11 percent of the 911 calls require a fire or emergency medical response. On average, calls are answered in less than two seconds.
The outstanding performance of the 911 system following the Chicago Bulls championship victory illustrates the progress that we have made. The OEC received 4,909 calls during a three-hour period after the game, or roughly three times the normal call volume. Despite the high number of calls, the OEC maintained the two-second average answering time. The 911 Center also served as the command post and helped police and fire personnel with their emergency responses.
In the past year, the OEC has reduced dispatch time for high-priority incidents by 53 percent. The Chicago 911 Center has been studied and used as a model by Los Angeles, San Francisco, Detroit, and dozens of other major cities around the world.
In the final analysis, the OEC is performing its mission better now than at any time in the past. As one leg of the public safety triad in Chicago, the OEC works closely with the Chicago Police and Fire departments to provide emergency response services. All three departments continue to look for innovative ways to respond to emergencies in a timely manner. Through this cooperation, and each time we prove the capabilities of the 911 system, we demonstrate that the center was an outstanding investment of taxpayers money.
